Best wooden toys and puzzles in 2023: 16 of the top options for boys and girls

Ideal for the perfect hand-me-down, long-lasting and planet friendly, these are the best wooden toys and puzzles

Round up of the best wooden toys and puzzles with a boat, bus and castle to choose from
(Image credit: Future)

The best wooden toys and puzzles have soared in popularity over the last few years. And it comes as no surpise. 

Wooden toys are up there with the best toys to buy in 2023, as not only do they look great, but they are built to last (and last). 

Wooden toys come with a much-welcomed retro touch, and can be better than buying plastic toys. It's no secret plastic finds its way into landfills across the world. So many more of us are opting for much more eco-friendly options, like wooden toys and puzzles, as a clever and stylish alternative. 

Often, the best wooden toys and puzzles are more traditional and timeless in their design, meaning they make for great hand-me-down gifts for future generations to come. Plus, many of kids' favourite TV characters also come in wooden form — whether it's Peppa Pig or Doug and Melissa. And, you'll be pleased to know that most top-rated wooden toy options also come with an educational element to them, which is always a win.

So no matter whether you're looking for a gift or just want to treat that special little person in your life, to help you find the perfect wooden match, we've trawled the internet and compiled a list of our faves below. With a range of prices, colours and options available, there really is something for everyone. 

Discover the best wooden toys 2023

Why you can trust GoodtoKnow. Our experienced Consumer Editor & parent reviewers spend hours testing products to help you make the best choice. Find out how we test and review products.

Petit CollageWooden Ferris Wheel - £56.95 | Not On The High Street 

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=18484&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notonthehighstreet.com%2Flittlebabycompany%2Fproduct%2Fwooden-ferris-wheel-play-set" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Petit CollageWooden Ferris Wheel - £56.95 | Not On The High Street 

Age suitability: 3 years and up | Batteries required: No

This adorable playset would make a beautiful addition to any child’s bedroom or playroom. The moving wheel comes pre-assembled and can be spun around by turning the handle. It also comes with three animal friends: Panda, Rabbit and Cat.

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Personalised Wooden Pull Along Sausage Dog - £13.95 | Not On The High Street&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=18484&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notonthehighstreet.com%2Fwheniwasakid%2Fproduct%2Fpersonalised-wooden-pull-along-sausage-dog" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Personalised Wooden Pull Along Sausage Dog - £13.95 | Not On The High Street 

Age suitability: 2+ years

We love this classic wooden pull along dog, with it’s vintage design it’ll look great in any toy box – and is sure to be a favourite with toddlers. Not on The High street also offer similar toys, like classic wooden red and blue racing cars.


VIEW ON NOT ON THE HIGH STREET


Peppa Pig Wooden Boat - £14.99 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Peppa-Pig-07209-Wooden-Boat/dp/B089WJ62MK?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Peppa Pig Wooden Boat - £14.99 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 2+ years | Batteries required: No

There are unlikely to be any homes with small children that are yet to be graced by Peppa and her oinking family. All aboard this push-along boat, George is ready to set sail! With his 'drop n play' feet, George fits into the boat, promoting hand-eye coordination for young children. Peppa’s World of Wooden Toys are made with excellent quality, durable and sustainable wood.

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Shopping trolley - £65 | Hamleys&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=1205&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hamleys.com%2Fshopping-trolley" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Shopping trolley - £65 | Hamleys 

Age suitability: 2+ years | Batteries required: No

Made of great quality wood, this shopping trolley from Hamleys makes the perfect learning toy for the little ones. The brand also sells cash registers, shopping baskets, and several sets of supermarket items to fill up the cart. Whether your children already have a toy kitchen or doctor's set, they will love feeling grown-up, pushing their shopping trolley around and playing shop.


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John Lewis &amp; Partners Wooden Train Track Table - £75 | John Lewis&nbsp;

<a href="https://john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io/c/221109/871855/12148?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=goodtoknow-gb&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnlewis.com%2Fjohn-lewis-wooden-train-track-table%2Fp4341671%3F" data-link-merchant="john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">John Lewis & Partners Wooden Train Track Table - £75 | John Lewis 

Age suitability: 3 years and up | Batteries required: None

Built to last, this wooden train set is a really good investment for hours of fun playtime with your child. It's got 90 pieces in total so you'll definitely never run out of bits to play with.

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Personalised Wooden Doctors Set Toy - £56 | Not On The High Street

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=18484&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notonthehighstreet.com%2Ftwentyseven%2Fproduct%2Fpersonalised-wooden-doctors-kit-toy" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Personalised Wooden Doctors Set Toy - £56 | Not On The High Street

Age suitability: 3 years and up | Batteries required: No

Do you know a budding doctor or nurse? This five-piece medical kit is perfect for wannabe medics. Each bag includes a wooden blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, reflex hammer, syringe and thermometer all contained in a red doctor's bag. And, you can personalise with the child’s name.

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Wooden Castle Blocks Set - £20 | Marks &amp; Spencer&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=1402&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marksandspencer.com%2Fwooden-castle-blocks-set-4-yrs-%2Fp%2Fhbp22532423" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wooden Castle Blocks Set - £20 | Marks & Spencer 

Age suitability: 4+ years

Children can create a magical setting with this castle-building set, designed for the greatest of princes and princesses. With 75 pieces to assemble including towers, bridges and arches, children can put their building skills to the test. Fingers crossed that no dragons are lurking nearby to blow those turrets down.

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Cath Kidston Wooden London Bus - £34.99 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/SOKA-Original-Sightseeing-Passenger-Figurines/dp/B0975R3MVX/ref=asc_df_B0975R3MVX/?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Cath Kidston Wooden London Bus - £34.99 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 3+ years | Batteries required: None

London double-decker buses are British icons in their own right, and so make a lovely nostalgic addition to any toy box.

With 9 passengers, 1 bus driver, and a removable top deck and staircase, this bus can provide hours of fun. A sturdy set that can handle knocks and bumps that toddlers will throw at it, this bus will last for many years to come.

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Melissa &amp; Doug Wooden Farm and Tractor Play Set - £37.07 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Wooden-Farm-Tractor/dp/B06Y1HBMPQ?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Melissa & Doug Wooden Farm and Tractor Play Set - £37.07 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 3+ years | Batteries required: No

Both classic and innovative, your little one can build their very own world with this 52-piece of farm-themed animals, buildings and play pieces. The small toys are made out of wooden but brightly decorated on one side and are ideal for sorting, stacking, counting and building activities.

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Personalised Children's Wooden Tool Belt Toy - £48 | Not On The High Street&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=18484&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notonthehighstreet.com%2Ftwentyseven%2Fproduct%2Fpersonalised-children-s-wooden-tool-belt-toy" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Personalised Children's Wooden Tool Belt Toy - £48 | Not On The High Street 

Age suitability: 3 years and up | Batteries required: No

Containing a wooden spanner, claw hammer, screwdriver, bolt with two nuts and even a spirit level – this cute tool kit is perfect for any young budding mechanic. The velcro belt can also be perosnalised, by adding a child’s name along with the phrase ‘can fix it’. So sweet.

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Le Toy Van Noahs Balancing Ark - £29.95 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Toy-Van-Noahs-Shape-Sorter/dp/B003JKJ82Y/ref=asc_df_B003JKJ82Y/?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Le Toy Van Noahs Balancing Ark - £29.95 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 12  | Batteries required: No

10 animal blocks are included in this cute Noah's Ark shape sorting set. Perfect for any little one turning one or two - they're sure to love balancing the pieces, which should help their cognitive skills and hand-eye coordination.

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Personalised Pull Along Caterpillar - £ | Not On The High Street&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=18484&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.notonthehighstreet.com%2Fmy1styears%2Fproduct%2Fpersonalised-pull-along-caterpillar" data-link-merchant="awin1.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Personalised Pull Along Caterpillar - £ | Not On The High Street 

Age suitability: 1+ years

Our favourite for several reasons, and not least its brightly coloured segments. A pull-along, wooden animal is a traditional find in all great toy boxes, and this caterpillar comes with the option of free personalisation for an additional magical touch.

A classic child favourite, this pull-along toy will give your child hours of play and even look super cute when not put tidily away.

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Hey Duggee Wooden Character Skittles - £16.99 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Hey-Duggee-9088-Character-Skittles/dp/B087S4MY1Q/ref=asc_df_B087S4MY1Q/?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hey Duggee Wooden Character Skittles - £16.99 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 3+ years

Many children seem to love knocking things down, and if yours fall into that category, then they will love playing skittles - especially when these adorable Hey Duggee characters are involved.

The perfect playset for children who like active play, these super cute animals are both fun and useful for developing hand-eye coordination.

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Tidlo Wooden Digger Construction - £33.99 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Tidlo-T0415-Construction-Vehicles-Multi-Colour/dp/B07BGHV69P/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Tidlo Wooden Digger Construction - £33.99 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 36 months+ | Batteries required: No

Make light work of construction with this brightly coloured digger. Children will be delighted to play with this durable groundworks vehicle which can swivel a full 360 degrees.

With working caterpillar tracks, this wooden toy is as realistic as can be without any real working engine! Encourage your children to engage in creative and imaginative play with this high-quality, and responsibly sourced wooden set.

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Post Box Playset - £24.99 | Amazon&nbsp;

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/SOKA-Elephant-Creative-Pretend-Play/dp/B0974DM5S9/ref=asc_df_B0974DM5S9/?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Post Box Playset - £24.99 | Amazon 

Age suitability: 3+ years

Perfect for children who are learning their colours, shapes, and numbers, this post box set is ideal for preparing and posting letters and special messages.

There are 5 wooden letters they can post, making it the perfect item for role-play or pretend-play. So you can tick off lots of essential skill-building with one toy set.


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Stoie's Musical Instruments Set - £33.99 | Amazon

<a href="https://amazon.co.uk/Stoies-Musical-Instruments-Toddler-Preschool/dp/B082NMQ1PN/ref=sr_1_5?tag=hawk-future-21&ascsubtag=hawk-custom-tracking-21" data-link-merchant="Amazon UK"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Stoie's Musical Instruments Set - £33.99 | Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ years

Calling all budding musicians. If your child likes to sing and make music from whatever they can, they will love this percussion set. Stored inside a cotton bag, there is a tambourine, castanet, 2 handbells, maracas, flute, a wooden block, agogo block, and a chime bar.

With enough instruments for all of the family to get involved, children are able to develop their collaborative skills.

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Wooden Carousel Rocking Horse - £48 | John Lewis&nbsp;

<a href="https://john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io/c/221109/871855/12148?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=goodtoknow-gb&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.johnlewis.com%2Fjohn-lewis-wooden-carousel-rocking-horse%2Fp4297730" data-link-merchant="john-lewis-and-partners.pxf.io"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wooden Carousel Rocking Horse - £48 | John Lewis 

Age suitability: 18 months+

There is nothing quite as nostalgic and sweet as a rocking horse, and this makes the ideal first one. With a beautiful, carousel-style design, children can rock away the hours.

The high quality and environmental wood will ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy this horse just as much as your little ones will. Giddy up!

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Are wooden toys better than plastic?

Wooden toys are the best way to ensure that you're getting high-quality toys, while not having to pay an arm and a leg. There are many brands out there (such as the ones below) that offer a huge range of wooden toys for any budget and they all guarantee quality - without no phthalates, PVC or chemicals which are used in plastic toys.

Research also points to wooden toys being better than plastic ones, offering the chance for unstructured play. This helps young children learn through play, by developing their imagination and creative thinking skills - especially as there's never just one use for a wooden toy. Sensory toys, with bright colours, sounds and pictures, are also great choices for improving baby and toddler development. Water babies, will also love these cheap bathtime toys.

They're also much, much better for the environment.

How sustainable are wooden toys?

Wooden toys are undoubtedly a helpful solution to the current overflow of plastic in our world. They're supremely long-lasting, meaning they're much less likely to break over the years, and as such, can be passed down from generation to generation.

Are wooden toys good for babies?

Being more durable - and less likely to break - also means that your wooden toys are arguably safer too. There aren't any sharp edges or small pieces likely to snap off, so you can rest ever so slightly easier when it comes to playtime for your little ones.

Wooden toys also tend to not be quite as high-tech as plastic toys, meaning they're more likely to naturally spark your child's creativity whilst they're playing. Hand your child a couple of wooden building blocks, or a wooden kitchen set, and see what kind of scene they create for themselves!

Another upside - for all the parents among us - is that wooden toys are inherently more peaceful - and what mum or dad doesn't crave a little more quiet time? Without the beeps and boops, alarms, voices, and all the other noises from your typical electrical toys, you might be able to let your child enjoy play time without an array of sounds exploding from their bedroom - within reason of course, after all, they're still children.

While you're shopping for the best wooden toys and puzzles, you might also be interested in our guide to choosing the best baby bath toys. We've also got guides on choosing the best educational toys and the best toys for 3 year olds.

Mollie Davies

Mollie is a lifestyle journalist, focusing mainly on health and beauty. Mollie contributes regularly to publications that include Insider, Women's Health, Reviewed, and IndyBest, amongst others. Basset Hounds are Mollie's favourite things on the earth. She has her own, Olive. Mollie loves anything with too much sugar in it, the colour yellow, pop culture, and musical theatre.

With contributions from