Making Toys That Teach: With Step-By-Step Instructions and Plans

by Les Neufeld

The difference between a good toy and great one is the ability to entertain--and instruct--a child at the same time. The author, a woodworker with a graduate degree in Curriculum and Instructional... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1561586064
• ISBN13: 9781561586066
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Taunton Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Great first wood toy book

If you have never made a wooden toy, this is the book for you. The projects are intrinsically simple and require only modest woodworking skills, but the book provides great enhancements on each theme. As the title suggests, these are toys that provide a young toddler both physical as well as mental play for years to come. My grandson (and his father!) love to play with these toys! The book is well-written, highly illustrated, easy to follow, and worth the price. I just bought a second copy for a friend--recently a new grandfather.

A Fantastic Resource!

So far, "grandpa" has made two toys from this book, with more to come. The square stacking rings are fantastic, as is the shape sorting box with the hinged lid. We are absolutely thrilled with the book and the toys it makes. Our goal as a family is to provide as many "real" toys as possible, and to minimize the use of the electronic pseudo-educational garbage that is often available.

Quality and Fun

Neufeld presents a set of children's toys of extremely high quality that are fun to build. And, my grandkids play with them for hours. I believe the book describes how to make heirlooms. I highly recommend this for any woodworker.

Well Thought Out Projects

An excellent book with projects that are above the elementary level. Toys that provide continual challenge as the child develops. I have built the block set, a long-time favorite of my grandchildren despite their many "modern" electronic toys, and the train. Caution: Be sure to double-check the dimensional drawings. There are several errors in the train drawings.

Great Book!

This is just the book I was hoping to find. The projects are fun to make and fun to play with. I was especially hoping to find plans for some unit building blocks for my grandkids for Christmas, and I just finished making the set from this book. I couldn't keep my wife away from them; she kept playing with them before they were finished! The plans are very detailed and easy to understand. The equipment needed is usually pretty basic, and there's a list of all the tools needed for each project. I'm anxious to get to work on some more of the toys. I don't hesitate to fully recommend this book.