just hatched

I happend to glance at Etsy's featured seller this week and was completely thrilled with the work by Just Hatched, a shop filled with beautifully and safely constructed wooden toys for little peeps. Many of these toys would be considered "open-ended toys", which imply that they foster creativity and have the potential to be different every time a child uses them. In other words, your letting the child assign meaning to the toy, not vice versa, which is a big deal in terms of development. 

 I adore this puzzle. What a great way to encourage your child to begin learning about nature at an early age. Also, how great are those animals? It wasn't until I saw those that I realized how most, if not all animal toys are creatures that don't live in our natural environment. Why not have a toy squirrel, raccoon, skunk etc...? After all, your child's more apt to see one of those than an estranged hippopotamus meandering around town.

These are toy created with purpose and intention, promoting education and imagination at an early age. I love it. So pretty, too.  A job well done Amanda and Joel!