Blog about play and wooden toys | Crateit

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Pretend play: why children play out everyday life again and again

If you have heard your child make a little figure say "right, time for bed now" in exactly your tone of voice, you have seen pretend play. Children play what they see around them: cooking, bedtime, a ...

8 Oct 2026 Crateits blog

Toys that grow with the child

Most parents know it: the toy that was everything in December lies at the bottom of the box in February. The child has not been spoilt. The toy simply could not keep up. Toys that grow with the child ...

7 Oct 2026 Crateits blog

Role play with firefighters and police: how to get the game going at home

The fire engine has to go out, and the thief has to be caught. Why children love the classic roles, and how you give the game room to grow.

5 Oct 2026 Crateits blog

Kids room ideas: 7 ways to create a room made for play

A children's room has to do a lot at once. It is a place to sleep, a place to wind down and a place to play. And ideally it should not look as if a toy shop has exploded every time you open the door. ...

1 Oct 2026 Crateits blog

What is open ended play? Play without a right answer

Open ended play is a term from the toy world for something quite simple: toys with no single way of being used. There is no right answer, no button to press and no story written in advance. The child ...

29 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

How to colour wooden toys with markers

When a toy comes in bare wood, the colours are part of the play. They are not just something to get done before the fun starts. For many children, colouring their own house or their own fire engine is...

29 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

Who makes your toys? About Crateit and the sheltered workshops

When you hold a Crateit set in your hands, someone has shaped the parts, assembled them and put them in the box. It is not a machine on the other side of the world, but people in sheltered workshops a...

29 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

Autumn half-term with children: 7 things that keep the day going

Five days at home. It sounds cosy beforehand, and then the child is standing there at half past nine saying there's nothing to do. Here are seven things that usually work, and most of them cost nothin...

14 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

How children learn to play on their own

Most parents know the feeling. You finally sit down, and half a minute later the child is standing there: "What shall I do?" Playing alone isn't something most children can do from the start. It's som...

14 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

Christmas gifts for children: a guide to gifts that last beyond Christmas

There is no single right Christmas present. But there is a difference between toys that get played with for two weeks and toys that are still in use next Christmas. This guide is sorted by price, so y...

14 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

Modular toys and children's creativity: why open-ended choice is better

Modular toys and children's creativity: what the research says When you're standing in a toy shop looking at everything from plastic superheroes to wooden cars, there is one approach that consistently...

12 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

Crateit Town: The complete guide to modular wooden toys for little builders

What is Crateit Town? Crateit Town is a modular toy town made from quality wood fibre (MDF/HDF), designed in Denmark and made to grow with your child. Instead of one fixed set with set pieces, you get...

12 Sept 2026 Crateits blog

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