2 Wooden Toys

Today the kids each received a special gift from a friend of the family.  I think we were all equally excited.  I had actually wanted the second one but wasn't sure about the timing of getting it and the price.  I'm so pleased that we now have it!

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I have a strong preference for wooden toys.  I would rather buy one well-made wooden toy then 4 or 5 plastic ones (with the exception of Lego).  I also shy away from cartoon character toys, electronic toys and anything that only has one way to use it.  If a toy can not stimulate the imagination it won't be played with for long.  

 Today we had a fire brigade hard at work in the living room. The 森の消防隊 has little people that "climb" down the ladder on their own which is a real hit!

This is the 森のうんどう会. The original use is that of a car ramp.  As you can see even a baby can enjoy this - as long as big brother keeps the cars going!  They played together like this for about a half hour this morning.
Both of these toys come from エド・インター and can be found on Amazon.jp.  If you are looking for a toddler gift one of these might work.