Here is the wooden train that inspired the Steam Locomotive in Grandma’s Toy Box. We only have two of the original three cars that were given to the family circa 1954 by Great-Grandpa; somewhere along the way the coal car was lost. You can see that it was much-loved, having survived seven children and their assorted friends and cousins. Our version of the train, which includes the yellow passenger car, is based on another photograph we found. We have made some improvements: the wheels have bushings so that they will turn easily, and the couplings are sturdy and simple to hitch together. The steam dome and smokestack are more accurate. Also, the passenger car and caboose have accessible interiors so that toys and animals can have rides, and they also sport bands of classy green trim on the sides. Have fun!

Four-thirty in the morning, and the songbirds of Massachusetts are already busy ushering in a foggy dawn. Most mornings I get started later than they do, but it’s nice to listen to them today. It is, quite simply, a pleasure. It’s the kind of event that people write about because it creates in us an awareness of something that defies description, and so we try to describe it and capture some trace of it to hold, but find that what we’ve got is something, but not it. It has to do with what we hold important, though.

Part of the reason we had for creating the type of toys you’ll find in Grandma’s Toy Box was a memory of things made by our Dads for us to play with. My Dad was ever tinkering with wood and paint and wires and such, coming up with gadgets for the house or the kids. I remember especially a set of locks with little wooden boats that he made for my cousin. We got to play with it for a while before it was given away, filling it with water from the garden hose and opening and closing the gates to float the boats from one compartment to the next. It was so much fun! There seems not to be a photograph of it, at least not that I can find. One of a kind, though, just like Dad. Great memories.

I recently made a trip to a toy store that used to carry interesting toys. Not a large chain store, but one in a small town. Although I did not check every single item in the place, I did spend a considerable time looking for any toys that were made in this country, but could not find a single one. I love it that our toys are handmade and look beautiful, that they stimulate the imagination, that they are made here, and that they are sturdy and made of wood and not plastic. I hope you love them, too. Our aim is to make them fun and the kind of toys that folks will keep and hand down to the next generation of little ones when other toys have been discarded.

Grandma

This week, we are excited to unveil the newest addition to our product line: the Starry-Wheel Wagons. We really love the look of these wagons, with their rich cherry sides and maple wheels.

Here at Grandma's Toy Blog, we love to share notes on our creative design process. With these wagons, we wanted to make a product that would be kid-friendly, and sturdy enough to last for thousands of trips around the living room (or your backyards!). At the same time, we wanted to keep its look simple and attractive enough to serve as a display and storage place for toys in between play sessions.

Here we are with the girls and bears at the fair. We were really thrilled to have enthusiastic response to the toys from both kids and parents! This was the first day we showed our cherry and maple Starry-Wheel Wagons. Check back in a few days for photos of our brand new Four Car Train. In the picture you can see the train Grandpa and his brothers played with when they were small. Ours is similar, but bright and shiny!

Love, Grandma

Here we go! Grandma's Toy Blog is up and running. We will keep you posted on the progress of new designs, our visits to local craft fairs, and any other tidbits from our work. Thanks for reading!