Playing with toy animals
Wooden animal figurines are among the most versatile open-ended toys available. Here is an overview of the many ways children can use them — and how adults can support that play without taking it over.
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Author: Lydia Staikova
Lydia Staikova holds an MA in English and Bulgarian Literature and Linguistics from Shoumen University, where she studied pedagogy, psychology, and child development. She has taught English and counseled students for thirty years. She is a parent and homeschooled her children for several years. Lydia writes all editorial content on mrfoxcrafts.com. See full bio here.
Playing with toy deer
Deer appear in the folklore and literature of cultures across the northern hemisphere — from Bambi to the Ural legend of Silver Hoof. Here is how their natural history and stories can enrich play with wooden deer figurines.
Playing with toy bears
Bears have populated human folklore, literature and art for millennia — from Masha and the Bear to Winnie-the-Pooh to the Brothers Grimm. Here is how their biology and stories can make play with wooden bear figurines deeper and longer-lasting.
Playing with toy foxes
The fox is one of the most storied animals in world folklore — trickster, survivor, shape-shifter. Here is how its natural history and cultural significance can enrich children’s play with wooden fox figurines.
Playing with toy sheep
Sheep and lambs have been central to human life for thousands of years — in agriculture, religion, art and literature. Here is how that rich background can inform and enrich children’s play with wooden sheep figurines.
Playing with wooden goats
Goats are among the oldest domesticated animals and figure prominently in folklore from Three Billy Goats Gruff to West African tales. Here is how their natural history and stories can make play with wooden goat figurines more meaningful.
Why our toys do not have eyes
Why do Mr Fox Crafts figurines have no facial features? The answer is rooted in play research, design philosophy and a deliberate commitment to open-ended imagination over fixed character.
The benefits of playing with toy animals – an intro to pigs.
Pigs are among the most intelligent domesticated animals — and among the most culturally significant, appearing in everything from Aesop’s fables to Orwell. Here is how that makes wooden pig figurines richer play props than they might first appear.
How to clean wooden toys
Wooden toys need different care than plastic ones. Here is a practical guide to cleaning, drying and maintaining wooden figurines so they retain their quality through years of play.
How it all started
This is our story – how we dreamed of making wooden toys and when and how we actually started.