Discover Discoveroo

Flimsy plastic toys break so it’s no wonder shoppers are turned on by well-crafted, long-lasting wooden playthings. To show them what’s out there that both encourages creativity and lasts, turn to Discoveroo, an Australian company that aims to encourage kids’ imaginations, teach basic skills like colors and sorting, and engage young minds by showing how each toy works.

Set out the adorable Patisserie Set, a 15-piece wooden tea set with all manner of goodies on a tray; the perfect way for little ones to have a doll tea party or pretend they are entertaining the Queen of the Fairies. This enchanting set offers a visual and tactile feast of chocolate and strawberry cakes, lollipops and accoutrements including tea cups, saucers and spoons, all made of sustainable wood — just the ticket for ages three and up.

Music Fruit subtly teaches colors, names of fruits and sounds with an apple xylophone, melon and lime castanets and pear guiro. After the music fest, items go back inside the handy wooden case, a lesson in organization. The bright colored Windmill Stackaroo encourages toddlers to stack and the windmill is a lot more engaging than typical stacking toys. Stock the Racetrack Set and watch customers snap it up — a puzzle morphs into a wooden racetrack complete with gas pump, start and finish gates, three cars to whiz around and more.

All these toys stand up to hours of use and are sturdy enough to be passed down to another young player. The Racetrack is suggested for kids aged three and up. For more car fun, order the Six Car Set with taxi cab, police car, ambulance, fire truck with a long ladder, bright yellow school bus and an ice cream truck. Kids can play together with cars, incorporating other toys as they wish, for afternoons of endless amusement while they learn about the world around them.

Display the Farm Set in cheery colors with a simple design that shows youngsters a farmer’s world with the farmer, a tractor, two trailers, a cow, a pig, four bales of hay and even a rake and shovel. When assembled, the farm measures 16” x 3.5” x 4” with pieces big enough for little hands to grasp.

The Sorteroo Truck of plantation linden and tea wood has seven different shapes that fit into openings so kids learn to fit the right block into the right hole. The truck cab is bright green while the shapes are red, blue, green and yellow. After playtime, the pieces go inside the truck, a gentle clean-up and organization reminder.

From down under: www.discoveroo.com