Homemade castle

We made a wooden castle out of the remains of the jutting roof. It is a larch wood, a bit redish, very pleasant and soft to the touch.

We added some knights and a cart with the horse from Ostheimer and Kinderkram. My husband made some missing equipment (shields and swords).

There is no "right" or "wrong" way to play with Ostheimer Castles or animals and therein lies the beauty of these wonderful wooden toys.

"Play is at the very core of a child's life. It is the way children learn about the environment, the people in their lives, and most of all about themselves. Toys are the tools of creative play and with the right toys, a child can have not only an entertaining, but an enriching experience." - Margarate Ostheimer

All larch small boards needed no further handling. Larch wood is one of our favorites since it needs no coating or oiling. It contains enough of the resin to remain healthy for at least hundred years, it may only loose a bit of the colour, but we grow grey hair with the years, don't we :) All the dryingracks and barns which are grey are made of larch wood.

All we are missing in this play is a princess ...

Marbles

Have you ever played with marbles? My dear friend from Holland brought us for Christmas this marbles house. 

More marbles you bring into house more points you get. 

Of corse you can make one yourself, out of shoe box, you draw some dwarfs' entrances or fairies' doors and the play can begin.

One of my childhood toys

This kind of toy is almost 200 years old, it is called the turning marvel or the wonder turner. 

We made it ourselves as kids. It is easy and fast to make. All you need is two round cards, a bamboo stick and glue. 

Draw two circles on a bright colour paper (help yourself with a glass), cut them out. 

Then draw a simple picture in the middle of one card.

Take a second card and hold both up to a light or against a window. Draw your second round card and draw the picture the way you want it to fit with the first picture.

Take the bamboo stick and glue both cards around the stick.

Spin your toy between your palms to see what happens. 

You can make changes by adding more to the drawings or coloring them in.