Many parents have a love-hate relationship with their children's toys. Pleasing your child with a new toy is lovely, of course, and all the more so if it's an educational toy.
But where do you keep all those new things? The nursery is often not very big and we like to keep the living room neat and tidy. That is why we advise you to also consider the decorative value when buying toys. Over the years Little Dutch has developed a large range of toys that are not only fun and educational but also beautifully designed.
How to use toys decoratively
There are a number of things to consider when it comes to the decorative value of toys; the colour scheme, material, size and, for example, whether the item is part of a larger line?
The colour scheme
If you want to use toys decoratively, it is important that their colours balance with the colours in the nursery. You could rigidly stick to two or three colours for everything in the room, for example. Alternatively you could opt for a slightly more varied palette or matching shades of one and the same colour. Whatever your choice, working with a set colour scheme gives you something to go on when choosing everything you need for your little one's room. Design your colour scheme using sample cards from the paint shop, cutting and pasting colours from magazines or creating a sample card on the computer. And not to forget: tell the grandparents about your wishes…
Material
The material a toy is made from contributes significantly to its appearance. As well as looking sweet a soft toy should feel cuddly too, for example, whereas a wooden car has a lovely natural look and is indestructible.
Working with 'opposites' when furnishing a nursery enhances each of the individual materials. Think of using such combinations as wood and wool, or rough and smooth textures. Wooden toys usually have a very decorative value thanks to their warm natural appearance, the look is timeless and they are lovely to touch too!
Size
If you use toys as decoration, we would advise to limit yourself to a few larger items rather than lots of little ones. Small toys on a shelf soon look untidy and also mean a lot of dusting. Opt instead for a few lovely eye-catchers that attract attention as soon as you enter the room.
Also consider how the atmosphere the various shapes can create. Round shapes tend to look and feel friendlier than square shapes, for instance. Make sure you have a nice balance here too.
Collect them all
Children like collecting things, which can prove useful when making a wish list. If you have several items from the same line, they will have coordinating colours, materials and shapes, thus also creating a good visual match. Examples include a race track that can be expanded with houses, buildings and vehicles, or a kitchen that can have kitchen appliances and food added to it. It is easy to group the various items together neatly to create a quiet play corner.
This information will hopefully make ]shopping a bit more fun. Because a happy child means happy parents, and vice versa of course! Enjoy the little things!