Play and Child Development

The cougar — also known as the mountain lion or puma — is North America’s most widely distributed wild cat. Here is how its biology, folklore and mythology can enrich children’s play with wooden figurines.

Skunks are more fascinating than their reputation suggests — highly adaptable, surprisingly intelligent, and rich in folklore. Here is how to use that to enrich children’s play.

Raccoons are clever, adaptable and culturally significant across North American traditions. Here is how their natural history and folklore can make play with wooden raccoon figurines richer and more engaging.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.