Out of the woods
Dave Gerardi -- Playthings, 5/1/2002
The feel of a wooden toy is unique. It has a peculiar heft and texture. Today's toysmiths retain that classic appeal but tweak the category by extending play value or mixing media. Each of the following pages, for example, highlights at least one SKU integrating wood with plastic or cloth.
Toy Biz's Fire Truck (prototype) from Playwell is a cross between a puzzle and a truck. The blocks that make up the vehicle are reconfigurable without losing the fire truck gestalt. Pamela Drake's ABCs Wood Puzzle recalls simpler times when children didn't learn the alphabet from a TV or computer screen. Each letter hides a representative animal (alligator, for example, for 'A'). International Playthings' Dudy Do from Soft Wood is a variation on the traditional stacker. Instead of rings around a center pole, there sit wooden disks partially covered by soft fabrics.
