I love this wooden Push Toy from Melissa And Doug! This is one present that I have given a number of times to parents of 1-2 year-olds. Simple to push and made of wood, its wings flap and its wheels spin. It has a large knob that’s easy for little hands to hold and not easy with which to poke someone’s eye out.

Your typical parent is often intrigued by this toy which is somewhat similar to the ball popper we all remember from our childhood. Because it’s made of wood though, it lasts longer and not filled with scary chemicals. It’s not available in many mainstream toy stores so your chances of giving the exact same present as twelve other people go way down. …unless you tend to hang with the crunchy crowd…then your chances go up.

I’m a big fan of wooden toys, as anyone who reads this or one of my other blogs already realizes. One reason is the feel of a natural product is important for young children. Children who play with wooden toys sooner or later make the connection that trees are a pretty important natural resource. If you’re interested in raising an eco conscious child, there’s no better way to start than to start buying him or her wooden toys.