Last Updated on August 15, 2022 by admin
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My oldest son got metal garden tools from a loving aunt for his first birthday. I remember being kind of amused that the age suggestion was 5 and up, since my kid was practically a baby.
But he certainly didn’t have to wait four years to start using these tools. Starting at about age 2 he started using them extensively, and my younger son did, too, when he was old enough. These tools went on to be used in the yard for many projects for years. I even occasionally grabbed them for the odd garden job myself because they were so handy.
There’s just something especially appealing about toys that actually work and aren’t just for show. Anyone who has tried to use a plastic toy rake will know that it’s more of an exercise in frustration than anything else. Because these tools are metal, they actually work to move dirt and leaves. As I wrote in my post about imaginative/pretend toys for 2-year-olds, toddlers tend to appreciate replicas that look and act as much like the real thing as possible.
That said, be advised that these tools are technically recommended for older kids, probably either because of small parts that could come loose, or because it’s a little bit of a risk to let a 2-year-old swing a spiky metal rake around. (Related post: Small Parts Warnings: How Scared Should You Be?) That said, as long as your toddlers are supervised while they’re using them, I think it’s tough to pass up this gift for kids who have a yard and want to work alongside their parents.
