I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find children’s toys overwhelming. They’re bright, loud, plastic, and create visual clutter that I have to imagine can stress out a kid as much as the adult tripping over them. One thing I learned while plowing through parenting books was how important play is to a child’s development. They’re learning physical skills, logic, and being creatively challenged as they handle, mouth, and explore toys. I love the idea of simple, minimalistic toys that serve a purpose, and this natural wood teether with cotton ribbon is exactly that. It also takes about five minutes to put together, and is super inexpensive. Have fun playing!

Note: To clean, wipe down the teether with a vinegar and water mix or mild soap as needed.

Note: Make sure the baby plays with this toy only under adult supervision.

Note: My dear friend Laurel from Sweet Laurel brought over her baby son Nico to play with the toy, how adorable is he?

What You’ll Need:

Wooden Beads (make sure the hole is around 1/4” wide)

Wooden Ring (mine is about 3 inches wide, big enough for a baby to grab)

natural cotton ribbon

small safety pins

DIRECTIONS:

Fold ribbon over ring, the ends going through the center. Fold the end of the ribbon over and pin. Run ribbon through wooden bead. If the hole is too small for a safety pin to go through, try pushing the ribbon through with a toothpick. Unpin ribbon, and run over other side of ring. Fold the end of the ribbon over and pin again. Run ribbon through wooden bead. Knot tightly.