Open-ended sorting toys

No instructions, no right or wrong: open-ended sorting toys allow children to decide what the game will be. Today, the pieces are sorted by color; tomorrow, they'll be soup in a play kitchen; and the day after, they'll be treasure in a pirate story.

This type of open-ended toy, such as loose wooden figures, rings, coins, and bowls for sorting, grows with every play stage. Toddlers practice sorting, counting, and fine motor skills; older children use the same pieces for role-playing and building. Few toys last as long.

We are big fans of this free play: it follows the child instead of the other way around, and that's precisely the kind of toy we at In den Olifant have been choosing since 1970.