Things I Love: Wiwiurka Toys
There are two things I get asked most about on Instagram: how I do my messy bun and my thoughts on our Wiwiurka toys. Maybe someday I’ll do a bun tutorial but for now thought I would answer some frequently asked questions about Wiwiurka.
What structure did you buy first?
We started with the rocker before adding the ladder / slide. We opted for the smallest rocker given the size of our space.
Why did you choose the rocker to start?
I personally liked how versatile the rocker was and felt like it was a lower risk for my son who was still a baby. I knew he probably wouldn’t try or be able to climb over it, but could still navigate in and out or rock it back and forth.
How old was your child when you bought it?
We gave it to him for his first birthday and then added the slide two months later for Christmas.
Will you get a Pikler Triangle?
Absolutely. They are a decent financial investment so we’ve tried to spread out the joy. But we are excited to put together little obstacle courses, using the slide as a bridge between the rocker and triangle, and generally just see how our son engages with it.
Where do you store it when it’s not being used?
We chose the light wood option for both the rocker and the slide because we expected it to stay in our main living space most of the time. Aesthetically it matches our decor, and since our son’s first main use was to climb up the ladder, over the rocker and onto the couch, it made sense to keep it out all the time. (Also it acts as a foot rest for me.)
They are expensive, are they worth it?
We hummed and hawed about whether or not to purchase the rocker. We have tried to take a fairly minimalist approach to toys and given that we don’t have an official play room (most toys are kept in our main living space) we loved the look of them. We also appreciated how open-ended the options were for interacting with the different structures and saw the potential for all kinds of imaginary games.
Our son was a year old when we first introduced him to it and he was more interested in touching the screws along the sides than actually climbing on it. However, his cousins were over for his birthday party and each of them (ages 3, 5, 6 and 8) all wanted a turn playing with it. To one it was a train bridge, to another it was a spy boat. I realized that not only would it help with developing physical skills but also would be the source of imaginative play (quite literally) for years to come.
Now, at 18 months, he climbs over the rocker to go down the slide, he rocks sits inside when it’s flipped over and tests his balance. Sometimes he sits in it with his stuffed animals and book. Other times he asks for the ladder to be flat on the floor so he can practice stepping over the ridges. He rolls his cars down the slide, plays peak-a-boo through the slats and it has truly become a central part of is play.
Do you have a discount code?
No, this isn’t an ad by any means. They are a family run business that I have been happy to support!
Overall, we are really happy with our purchases and look forward to adding the Pikler. Yes, there is a certain level of risk and we’ve had a few falls, but in general it has helped me let our son figure out spacial awareness and skills on his own.
