Waldorf Toys

 I've gotten a little off track this summer. While looking at toys I can make for our new grandson, Lincoln, I saw "Waldorf toys." The idea is to use natural materials to make open ended, imaginative toys. So I made some wooden trees, that I would have used a lot growing up, then a bear and a berry bush (he has to eat.) Then I noticed the needle felted play mats.  This one is about 11' square - made to fit on a chair in the kitchen or Dr. office. It is made of felt material and wool roving (which is the last step before spinning yarn.) A very sharp barbed needle is used to press different colored roving through the felt. Needle felting is a new art form since the 1980s. It is also used to make appliques, dolls and wall hangings.

Here is a close up of the corner with "rocks" and "fish" (for the bear to eat.)

Here is everything all together including a peg person and a bonfire.

I spent so much time thinking about this that each tree and the play mats went together very fast. Its just too bad that Lincoln will not be ready to play with it for at least a year -  maybe 2 1/2 years.