Toymaking with Children

by Freya Jaffke

Book Overview

The toys surrounding a child during the first five years of life are of great importance. They awaken the imagination and stimulate creativity. Out of her long experience as a kindergarten teacher Freya Jaffke makes numerous suggestions for making a wide variety of toys, including ideas for making wooden boats, log trains, doll's furniture, rag dolls, puppets and soft animals.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0863153674
• ISBN13: 9780863153679
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Floris Books
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.8" x 7.6"

Customer Reviews

Simple and so appealing!

You hear people comment all the time "my child prefers the box to the toy" and so on and I really think it says a lot about toys today. Children want to be active in their creativity. At many a play date with my children I have seen all the kids quickly abandon the elaborate play set to go play make-believe on large rocks or a fallen tree or some other simple natural structure that is open-ended to whatever they want it to be for them. This book helps bring that element into the home and the playroom. Just today our family went to the beach and collected smooth stones and driftwood for cutting into logs for the playroom and all it cost us was a good time. I'm pretty sad to think of the money I have wasted in the past on toys that didn't capture the interest of my children nearly as much as a basket of rocks or a simple homemade doll.

I love it

Although I don't think this book is quite what I expected, I love it! it has an abundance of toys of all sizes and difficulty to make for your little ones and my little girl has loved them all. Some take as little as a n hour while others take more time and care.

Awesome book

This is a really great book on how to mkae simple, and some not so simple toys for children. Most of them are just beautiful as well.

Directions for Waldorf-style toys and more...

This book is a revised and expanded edition of the original book titled "Making Soft Toys" which was published in 1981. The author is a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher. This book discusses the importance of play as seen through a Waldorf education perspective and explains that natural playthings from nature and toys made from natural products are important. The book opens with several essays on the subject of the value of play and the nature of (appropriate) play as seen through the eyes of a Waldorf educator. Simple toys that allow imaginative and creative play are defined as ideal and appropriate for the proper development of the child. The author states that toys made by hand are more appreciated by children and she urges parents to make toys by hand, with the child's help or the child watching. A listing of toys appropriate for different age groups is listed. Discussion about outdoor play, play with dolls, and clean up time is included. Full instructions for over 45 toys are provided. Toys include dolls and doll clothing, knitted animals, wooden playstands and cloths, wooden tree blocks, and carved wooden toys (bridges, animals, spoons, etc.). Using wool roving is explained and instructions for creating pictures with plant-dyed wool end the book. The book is 93 pages long and the instructions are detailed and illustrated with line drawings. If you enjoy crafts and want to make Waldorf-style toys, this book is a must and a good value. Of course you can buy many of these toys already made, but you would save a lot of money by making these yourself.

Not just toymaking plans!

I recieved this book and really couldn't be more pleased! It begins by describing the purpose of play, and shows us how to best implement positive play in children's lives. It lists some toys that are appropriate for each age group and goes on to describe how to make a number of toys. The ideas i found to be very enlightening, and I so look forward to making some of these wonderful toys! Oh and this book has a waldorf slant to it. An excellent find!