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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 26 2009 at 11:17am | IP Logged
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I've been trying to collect some of the beautiful, handcarved wooden animals for my nature shelf and also because my 4yo loves to hold the animal that corresponds to the story we're reading about. I have most luck here - at Nova Natural. But, I'm wondering if anyone else knows of another good source for these wooden figures?
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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CrunchyMom
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Wild Apples is a new one I just saw recently. Made in America and reasonably priced.
Of course, there is the Ostheimer and Holztiger. Lots of places sell these including Dandelion Summmers
And there were some neat suggestions in this thread:Figures for Imaginative Play
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 26 2009 at 10:10pm | IP Logged
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Thank you, Lindsay! I totally forgot about the Figures for Imaginative Play thread.  What's worse is I was *just* looking at it the other day for another reason.
My preference is Engelberger or Ostheimer since we already have several of them and their look is unique and my son really enjoys these...as do I! I checked out Dandelion Summers earlier today and bookmarked it...thanks for the link. I hadn't yet found them.
Off to check out the Figures for Imaginative Play link and read through it with an eye towards wooden figures...
Thank you again.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Wildflowers and Marbles
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Waverley
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Peapods is a toy store in St. Paul run by a local homeschooling family. They sell several brands of wooden figures along with many other natural toys and baby products. They have an online store (I don't know the link. I have found it by googling peapods and St. Paul Minnesota).
Good luck.
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Mary G
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Here's the link to Peapods -- altho they're closed this week  !
What about making your own with a scroll-saw and sanding to soften (and then oiling to make really satiny smooth) .... you could use bold coloring-book drawings of animals (or whatever) and go as detailed as you want ... I'm thinking this was as I want to get a scroll-saw to make Nativity figures for our barn!
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MaryG
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my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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CrunchyMom
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So Jennifer, my dh and I are thinking of opening an Etsy shop. He does a lot of carpentry, and we've thought of making toys that you describe.
What particular characters did you have in mind that you don't see readily available? What stories would you most want toys to accompany?
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 27 2009 at 8:51pm | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
What about making your own with a scroll-saw and sanding to soften |
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Well...it's on somebody's list.  It's actually been on his list for some time now. I really wanted him to make some wooden figures for my Covenant Theology for kids presentations... It just isn't a good time for him right now.
CrunchyMom wrote:
So Jennifer, my dh and I are thinking of opening an Etsy shop. He does a lot of carpentry, and we've thought of making toys that you describe.
What particular characters did you have in mind that you don't see readily available? What stories would you most want toys to accompany?
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I could see there being a tremendous market, Lindsay, for beautiful, warm, wooden animal figures that are made in the US!
What characters am I looking for (that I can't find)?
Think Aesop's fables...so....
*a nice lion (not too large)
*tortoise - a really nice tortoise
*otter
*turkey
*a bee (don't laugh - we love bees!)
*a beautiful sun
*moon
*stars
In addition...I have found a few fir tree's which I love at Nova Natural, but I'd love to have a set of wooden trees for the nature table that show the seasonal changes in the trees - so a flowering Cherry maybe for spring, an Oak for summer, Fir trees for the winter, perhaps an October Glory Maple for fall.
Favorite book I'd love to have small wooden figures for:
*Sara Squirrel and the lost Acorns (We have a lovely squirrel, but I can't find a vole or a badger)
I know there are a couple more...
In general, I'm just looking for woodland creatures and I can find most of what I like at Nova Natural...I am going to check out Peabody after I post though. I love the realistic look of the Engelberger as well as the smallish size. They are our favorites. I want to get more chickens...you can never have too many chickens and ducks - need more ducklings! Ok want more ducklings. Make room for ducks... The thing is, if I stick with one name - Engelberger for instance - I can make sure the scale is the same-ish...so the mouse isn't bigger than the lion.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mackfam
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Forgot to say...let me know if you ever open that Etsy shop!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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CrunchyMom
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I just googled Engelberger, and this site has that as well as some from a supplier in Georgia (the country) that I hadn't seen. Lots of cute, natural ducks! http://www.quiethourstoys.com/index.php?cPath=22
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Lindsay
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 7:32am | IP Logged
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 I found the same site the other day...googling the same thing. I think Quiet Hours Toys has a few more of the Engelberger that I couldn't find at Nova Natural...and I did LOVE their ducks! I bookmarked them and as an aside...Tree Hollow Toys and Seasons Natural Toys had some of the most adorable little animal puppets. I like these a lot as well. I have neglected adding to my collection of puppets for some time. I think I'll keep these finger puppets in mind.
If you were handy, like Mary G, you could knit the most adorable little animal finger puppets!
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Jen Mackintosh
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CrunchyMom
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I belong to a co-op that annually buys from Folkmanis (the maker of most of realistic looking puppets you linked to). I'll let you know next year when it opens if you like. We got little hedgehog finger puppets in our St. Nicholas stockings this year!
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mackfam
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| I belong to a co-op that annually buys from Folkmanis (the maker of most of realistic looking puppets you linked to). I'll let you know next year when it opens if you like. |
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Yes! That would be wonderful, Lindsay. I need to check through Nissa's co-op as well. I have been remiss in doing that and I know they offer some wonderful things.
My little Peanut was just looking at the hedgehog puppet and saying how it matched Hedgie's surprise.  And the Folkmanis squirrel is just adorable and we have a *thing* for squirrels!
I was first prompted to begin looking into adding to our puppet and wooden figures collection when I saw this post on MaryM's blog - Creative Narration. Both my boys really enjoy the puppets and wooden figures both on the nature shelf (which they love to arrange and re-arrange endlessly) and in coordination with a story which they either act out during or after the picture book.
Because I found it so lovely, I'll include a link here to Dawn's post today on Heralding the Snow. At the end of the post she includes a lovely way she gathers her puppets and one book for picture book time.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mackfam
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Mackfam wrote:
| I think Quiet Hours Toys has a few more of the Engelberger that I couldn't find at Nova Natural... |
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Just wanted to come back to this thread because I found something on this site...rather, I realized I had been an idiot...and it has far more wooden figure treasures than I realized initially.
Their collection of wooden animals starts here - p. 1 - 5. I *thought* it ended there, but once on p. 5 I happened to click next and got p. 6 - 10. Then there are p. 11 - 15 with some of the beautiful birds I'd like to add. And, finally p. 16 - 19.
I sure wish there was a "VIEW ALL" so I could print it out and add to my wish list folder!
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Jen Mackintosh
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 28 2009 at 10:41am | IP Logged
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Jennifer, you can actually browse everything Holztiger and Ostheimer sell at their company sites--then, you could ask a distributer of choice to do a special order for you.
Holztiger
Ostheimer
And now that you've introduced me to Engelberger, I guessed (correctly) their website which also displays products! Engelbergerl
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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missionfamily
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Jennifer--There is an extensive OStheimer collection at this site and they advertise that they will order any figure they don't have in stock...they did have badgers...and some of the others on your list. There was also a fall colored maple tree, an apple, and an oak, as well as some fir trees. HTH!
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Mackfam
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I wanted to update and say that I found a number of the Folkmanis finger puppets that we adore at PuppetJungle - many discounted and with free shipping offered at the site. I decided to purchase just a couple more of the small wooden animals for now and continue to grow that collection slowly and purchase several of the finger puppets we don't yet have.
I'm going to update the title of this thread to reflect the search for wooden figures AND finger puppets!
Ladies, thanks so much for all the help...I discovered several sites I hadn't yet found (which is amazing if you knew how much of a google-hound I am! )
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Jen Mackintosh
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soodow
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| Posted: June 11 2009 at 12:48pm | IP Logged
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I just made a set of figures for my grandson of
Jesus and the Little Children and would love to begin selling sets.
I see here there is some interest in wood figures...
I will post a picture of the set...is there interest in wood (pine) figures that are fine sanded, finished with a beeswax rub??
I hope this is an appropriate place to ask?!
You could PM me for details.
Joyfully,
Sue
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Mackfam
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Thank you so much, Sue! 
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Jen Mackintosh
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Small wooden figures and finger puppets
