Wooden toys in ancient times were made purely of single wood material. Modern wooden toys adopt a combination and processing of diverse materials and crafts to varying degrees, realizing diversified and multi-functional toy designs.

As a major category in the toy industry, wooden toys enjoy a long history. Throughout every stage of historical development in European and American developed countries, shaped by unique cultural ideologies and national backgrounds, German wooden toys emerged as the earliest and most renowned. In ancient Germany, belt-driven lathes already appeared and were used to process wooden toys, which were then polished manually. Such wooden toys varied greatly in size, ranging from small ornaments to large-sized models, among which Noah’s Ark is the most representative work.

There was a German named Albert living in Philadelphia, USA. He immigrated to America in 1872 and began making wooden horse toys for circuses. His wooden horses featured flexible movements and lifelike shapes, widely adopted by local circuses. Traces of these classic rocking horses can still be seen today and were extremely popular at that time. Later, four wheels were installed under the wooden horses by circuses, forming the prototype of ancient carriages.

Inspired by wooden horses, later wooden toy manufacturing witnessed the successive emergence of wooden trains, wooden cars, wooden ships, wooden tractors and more. Up to now, wooden airplanes have become one of children’s favorite toys. It can be seen that wooden toys carry profound historical and cultural connotations while embodying the spirit of the times. Among other traditional wooden toys, stilts and spinning tops are also deeply loved by children. Stilts are simple wooden toys that integrate education into entertainment. The spinning top boasts the simplest craftsmanship yet enjoys the highest popularity among kids. Playing with spinning tops on ice in childhood allows children to understand mechanical principles and acceleration knowledge as the tops rotate. It is fair to say that wooden toys have made an indelible contribution to human intellectual development.

China boasts an even longer history of wooden toys. The ancient famous sliding puzzle *Huarong Dao* has been a classic childhood toy, helping children understand the roles, strengths and tactical skills of each character. Later, wooden building blocks came into being. While stacking blocks, children learn basic architectural logic — a well-structured model stays stable while an unreasonable structure collapses. This process has inspired many future architectural designers. Therefore, toys act as enlightened teachers for human intelligence. Children who play with toys wisely tend to have outstanding intellectual development, which also endows toy manufacturers with a noble mission.

In terms of form, wooden toys are generally divided into natural, abstract and artistic styles. Natural forms reflect the essence of toys and bring spiritual comfort; abstract forms highlight intellectual elements and spark boundless imagination; artistic forms emphasize ornamental value and deliver aesthetic enjoyment. When people feel depressed, appreciating dull and plain toys may deepen their melancholy, while toys with bright colors, elegant shapes and cheerful designs can greatly lift their mood.

Wooden toys feature unique charm not only in intellectual development but also in many other aspects. Practicality and safety come first. Made of natural wood, wooden toys are non-toxic and odorless, greatly beneficial to children’s physical and mental health. They also have the advantages of drop resistance, wear resistance and durability, which are important reasons why overseas consumers are keen to buy Chinese wooden toys.