TRUCKS !

One of the things that Rick enjoys the most is making wooden trucks for children. As with most of his woodworking, Rick uses select quality Eastern White Pine for the truck bodies. And for most of his trucks, he also uses the pine for the wheels. Some of the wheels are cross-hatched with 'treads.' All of the trucks are sanded and rubbed to a smooth finish that allows the natural beauty of the pine to show through.

These trucks don't stay in stock for long. Most visitors who have little ones at home are drawn right away to the wooden hutch that holds the trucks. One visitor picked up the monster truck, and carried it throughout her tour of the shop, saying "I don't know who I'll give this to ... maybe, I'll keep it at my house for whoever comes to visit me."  That was such a wonderful idea!

The five piece puzzle truck is one of the first trucks that we had in the shop. Currently, it is out of stock, but Rick plans to have more made by the end of September. The overall length of the tractor and car carrier trailer is about 20 inches.It is made with purchased maple wheels, of a size that might be a swallowing hazard for toddlers under the age of three.  When fit all together properly, the height is about 7 inches, and the width 1 3/4 inches. The three cars that fit together form the body of the trailer and comprise the puzzle: they will only fit together one way. This invites little ones to use trial and error to put the cars back onto the flatbed. That's the kind of play that we know is so important for eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skill development.

What child doesn't like to have a dump truck to play with in the yard or on the beach? This truck measures 7 inches in length by 6 inches in height and 4 inches in width. To avoid pinched fingers, the dumper does not lift and dump. The cab of the truck has two wheels, and the dumper has eight wheels (two sets of doubles on each side.) These wheels are made by Rick of Eastern White Pine, and are shaped carefully to allow smooth rolling on a rug or in grass.

This flat bed trailer will carry either the dump truck (above) or the bulldozer (as shown here and below.) The trailer, tractor and wheels are all made of Eastern White Pine. The tractor has ten wheels of its own: two single tires at the front and four double sets support the goose-neck connection to the trailer.  The trailer has four double sets at the rear: eighteen wheels in all for this piece. The tractor and ten wheels measures  7  inches in length,  4.5  inches in height and  4  inches in width. The trailer, with it's goose-neck attachment and eight wheels measures 14.5  inches in length, 4  inches wide. When linked together by a wooden peg assembly, the overall length is 20.5 inches.

The bulldozer has four single, wider wheels. It's length is 6 inches, height is 3 inches (plus 3/4 inch dowel for exhaust) and 5.75 inches wide. The blade is 1/2 thick, 6 inches wide and 2.25 inches tall, and lifts up and down via a wooden peg system.

The VW dune buggy will be a favorite at the beach or in the sandbox. The vehicle and its wheels are made of Eastern White Pine. Extra-wide wheels with no tread support the bug's body, which features a cut-through window shape. This makes it easy for little hands to carry and move through the sand or the foliage. Here it is shown sitting in a bed of English Ivy (unfortunately not included :)

The Monster Truck has Very large wheels cross-hatched for tread. The wheels themselves are 2.75 inches in diameter and 3 inches thick, making the overall width of the truck and tires 8 inches. It stands about 7 inches high and about 7 inches in length. Made of Eastern White Pine, this truck delights both toddlers and older children alike.


Stop into our shop to see our trucks ... you never know when you might need one on hand for a special gift.  Or visit our webstore at www.woodentoyandgift.net and purchase via PayPal.

Christmas in July 2013

Christmas in July!

59 North Street (2 doors north of Perley)

Georgetown, Massachusetts

Come to our shop in Georgetown, Massachusetts. We're having our annual Christmas in July celebration on Saturday and Sunday, July 13th and 14th, from 9:00 am until the crowds dwindle.

We'll be displaying things on the sidewalk out front, and the shop itself will be AC cool!

Take a look at how we're advertising street-side this weekend:

And, surely you remember this little guy? We're giving him a better role than he used to have in the way-back-when days...

Come on in - we are a smoke-free environment, and it is still Kool inside! We'll give an additional 10% discount on any one item to the first person who knows his advertising name...





It wouldn't be Christmas in July without a train on the table, right?

 This will be our first weekend for accepting Visa, Mastercard and Discover! Come on, shop with us~ buy them all; we can make more.

Online shopping? Visit our webstore at www.woodentoyandgift.net. PayPal does not understand discount weekends, so to honor our Christmas in July sale for our online customers, we will include a refund check of ten percent of the order (post-tax) with your package. Looking for something special? Email us before October 1, 2013, at woodentoyandgift@comcast.net, to let us know what it is you would like. We will do our best to fulfill your dreams before Christmas! And if you email us the penguin's advertising name before anyone else does, we will send a check with your order for the additional ten percent discount prize.

Angels in your Pocket

All who know Terry know that she never starts her day without an angel on her shoulder. Sometimes she also has one in her pocket. For years she carried one in her school bag as well. And, of course, her guardian angel went with her virtually everywhere.

After Rick made the beautiful butterflies for the disability awareness plaques, Terry asked him about making angels. Within minutes, Rick had located a pattern for various angels online, and soon after that, he was at work.

The dear little Pocket Angels are painstakingly cut from 1/8" Baltic Birch Plywood with a scroll saw, and then carefully filed by hand to a smooth finish. Each one measures approximately 1" square.

Rick then downloaded more angel patterns. He's made one that is about the size of the butterfly (4" x 4"). It might be hung in a window, or on a wall. It might also decorate a Christmas Tree. In a frame, it could, like Rick's military, firefighter and disability plaques, sit on a shelf or desk.

That Rick makes these angels happily adds a special sentiment to the treasured pieces of wood. They are made with love and care, and they bring that love and care with them, where ever they go.

You'll find them in our shop, or at the online web store. I'm sure you and whomever you choose to give them to will love them as much as Terry and Rick do.

Remember, everything that Rick sells in his shop and his online web store are always made right here in Georgetown, Massachusetts, using select quality wood. Wood is a renewable, biodegradable product and all of Rick's products are hand polished to reveal the natural beauty of the wood, without added stains or paints, and so are non-toxic to you and your community. We are proud to say that everything we sell is MADE IN THE U.S.A. !

Visit our webstore to order these angels online: http://www.woodentoyandgift.net/apps/webstore/products/show/3988960

Or come on in to see us: just two doors north of Perley School in Georgetown, Massachusetts.