These wooden toys were invented back in 1916 but they weren’t mass produced to the public until about 1918. While most people assume these classic toys were named after former president, Abraham Lincoln, they were actually named after the inventor’s father’s middle name! Inventor, John L. Wright, got the design of the Lincoln Logs by looking at an earthquake proof basement structure in Tokyo. All the way up until about 1970 all of the logs included in the kits were wood, but that soon changed. Most manufacturers switched over to plastic because it was cheaper but there are just a few manufacturers left that only produce wooden logs.

Educational wooden toys were also popular at my childhood day care and pediatrician’s office. While at day care I would play with the wooden tic tac toe board, and another wooden toy that had you match up wooden shape pieces into shapes set into a wooden block. Building blocks were also considered a type of educational toy so those were always around too. The building blocks were a little cooler than the Lincoln Logs simply because you weren’t restricted to one or two designs. You could make homes, castles, bridges and many other things with the building blocks.

There are some kits out there for those of you who want more design potential. A variety of homes, including Appalachian homes, can be built with these kits. You may be able to find some classic wooden toys like these in local retail stores but most of these kits can only be found online at certain retailers. You should start looking online though if you want the best selection with these wooden log and building block toys.

One of the first things to consider is the scale. The most popular scales are O scale and HO scale (half-zero). O scale is 1:48 scale while HO is 1:87 scale. However, smaller and larger scale models are also available. The main consideration here is your availability of space. If you plan to fit your layout on a 4×8 piece of plywood, HO scale is a great choice for that. If you have more space and more money to spend, O scale is a great choice. There are lots of accessories available for either HO or O scale.

Another decision to make is whether to buy a complete kit or individual components. Kits are recommended for beginners because they provide the essential items at an affordable cost. The downside of buying individual components is it will cost more money and take more time to put it all together. However, for more serious model train hobbyists, buying individual components is recommended because it allows you to upgrade and customize your selections, making your set uniquely yours and totally awesome! Kits typically include standard quality items, which are okay for beginners but maybe not okay for more serious railroaders.

For the cars, as long as they are the same scale as your track, you really cannot go wrong. Buy the ones you like the best and have fun collecting unique and interesting cars.

One of the most important model train features is the track. Tracks have rail heads, which are made from three basic materials, brass, nickel-silver and steel. However, there are really just two choices here because brass is being phased out by most manufacturers and is already hard to find in hobby shops. The best and cheapest place to find brass track is in garage sales. So your remaining choices are nickel-silver and steel. Nickel-silver is the easiest to find and most commonly used. It is very popular because it is slower to oxidize, which means less maintenance and less cleaning. Steel has the advantage of looking the most realistic but it has the disadvantage of rusting faster and getting dirty faster. So if you want that awesome look that steel offers, you have to be willing to work harder for it.

When looking for track, look for a code on the track packages. This number relates to the height of the rail. The most commonly used track code is 100 on the HO scale. Model train enthusiasts often use lighter rails or those below 100 as an alternative to achieve a more realistic appearance.

Another important component is the locomotive. Here the choices are diesel versus steam engines. Steam locomotives are very fun because of the loud train sounds and smoke but are typically more expensive than diesel. Diesels are typically available as either 4-axle or 6-axle. Your choice here depends partly on the twists and turns of your track layout. For HO track, a 4-axle diesel requires a minimum track radius of 18 inches while a 6-axle diesel requires a minimum track radius of 22 inches.

Lastly, consider your electrical needs. You will not only need a power-pack but also wires to keep your train up and running. Different trains require different types of power. Most experts agree that HO locomotives pull between 0 to 15 volts DC at .5 or more amp, though adding extra amps is always a good investment. Invest in colored wires to make wiring that much easier. This helps you to keep track of positive and negative charges so that you can avoid a short.

What began as train toys can quickly become a far more serious but still very lovable model train hobby. This guide should help you get started so you can safely move past the serious issues and proceed directly into the fun times.

An antique rocking horse from Europe is very different than one from America. The American ones are often called ‘folk art’ antique horses. The designs are simple and the manes and tails are usually made of horsehair. If there are saddles and reins left they will be leather. Some were painted and some were polished or left natural.

European horses, especially British ones, mostly date from approximately 1870-1920. Again, the manes and tails were made of hair, and the tack was leather, often fixed by brass fastenings. They were usually painted. They do not often have a manufacturers name on but some do, and the three biggest manufacturers were Collinsons (1836-1993), F H Ayres (19th Century and early 20th Century) and Tri-Ang Lines, who also made hide covered rocking horses.

So how do you know the horse you are looking at is an antique rocking horse? First, it’ll look old! But be careful! Old can be faked. You need to know where to look. First, look at the delicate parts of the horse – ears, bottom of the face, around the eyes and the legs. Most importantly, look at the seat. An antique rocking horse should have signs of wear, not only in the paintwork, but also worn wood in the places the saddle has rubbed. Also, the reins may have rubbed around the neck.

Secondly, the tack. On an antique rocking horse this is almost always leather. A carved and painted saddle is unusual on a true rocking horse. Make sure the leather is worn. Again, especially look at the saddle seat. A European one will probably have brass studding on it to fix it, but this is not always the case. Nails and other metal fixings can be artificially rusted so be careful.

Thirdly, the mane and tail on an antique rocking horse will almost always have been real horse or cow hair. If you find one with a carved mane, it is probably newer than you thought.

There are some very excellent companies who make reproduction horses and these should not be confused with a fake antique horse. If you do your research, check some pictures on the internet, and buy from a known dealer you should not have any problem and will enjoy your antique horse.

First Things First on How to Create a Toy Box

Well, you can’t just go right down to business and hammer away. The first thing you need to know on how to build a toy box is to identify the kind of toys that the kids have. You need to separate them accordingly because some toys tend to be more sensitive than the others. Some are smaller while some may take up too much space. Putting a category on the toys beforehand also allows you to make a simple inventory of the toys the kids already have.

Soon as you have your mini inventory in place, this is where the design process comes in. If you really want to build your toy box from scratch then it would help to have a design plan that you can sketch up to serve as your guide. This would also give you an idea of the materials that you will need to make building possible. You can also have someone who’s more adept at building stuff look over your sketch so they can give you useful inputs on how to build a toy box.

Choosing Your Materials Wisely

Keep in mind that as much as you want the kids toy box to be creative and sturdy, you should also remember that most of the time the kids themselves would be the ones to handle it. Safety precautions should be among the top of your priorities when building one. Make sure that if you decide to use wood, the materials is properly smoothed out to avoid stubs that can injure the kids hands and fingers. If you will use metal, it would be best to use those that are a bit on the thin side so kids can easily carry them around.

Make sure that you also create safe joints for the box lids and sides. You can actually use ropes instead of nails. But should you use bolts and screws and other steel joints, just make sure you choose the ones that are guaranteed to be stainless. At least even if times wears out these materials they would not rust and cause a hazardous toy box for the kids to use.

Wooden toys are perfect presents for a baby shower gift, a birthday or a simple family get-together. One reason is the nonexistent threat of toxicity that is ever present in toys made of plastic and metal. Toxicity is big concern when picking toys for infant and toddlers, as they would tend to chew on their toys for long periods of time, especially teething babies. Another upside in picking wooden toys for children is that you can actually have it modified according to your specification. A wooden doll house or a wooden horse with matching names of its owners is great ideas for a personalized baby gift.

While some wooden toys can cost significantly more than their plastic counterparts, many parents feel wooden toys still remain the best play options for their children, regardless of cost. In a ‘cost conscious’ consumer market, with many budget-wholesale-discount outlets, why do so many parents go the ‘extra mile’ in time and expense? The answer can be found in the advantages of the ‘Wooden Toys Direct’ for their children.

Wooden Toys Direct is The Online Specialist for KidKraft wooden toys for the UK and Europe. Wooden Toys Direct sells the best quality, safest and often unique wooden toys and furniture around which will last for years and provide children with endless hours of fun and imaginative educational fun play time. All KidKraft items meet all applicable U.S. regulatory safety standards. KidKrafts testing program ensures that the products meet or exceed all requirements, including mechanical hazards, lead and other heavy metals, and flammability.

Always keep in mind that play will always be an essential part of person’s childhood, as most of the important lessons and skills are learned during this phase. It is during this stage they learn to explore the world around them learning to express themselves, and learn to bond with their families and with other children. Wooden toys provide features that really help children make most out of this stage in their lives. Durable, safe, and possessing the aspect of craftsmanship, wooden toys simply ranks as one of the best gift ideas one any person can give to children.