(Welcome to Alex, one of the finalists for an editor position at AT:The Nursery. Comment away.)
Shortly after our son was born, we came across a Magic Cabin catalog and as we turned each page we became completely enchanted with every item inside. Simple and natural is often best when it comes to children�s toys and Magic Cabin is a retailer which takes this notion to heart.
Founded by stay-at-home mom Sara McDonald, Magic Cabin began in 1989 with a 12-page hand-drawn catalog which featured McDonald�s popular Waldorf-style dolls, and since then Magic Cabin has grown immensely.
Wooden toys, beeswax candle-making kits, dress up clothing and even furniture are to be found there.
Magic Cabin's wooden toys are beautiful artisanal works with great attention to detail. And, they can easily be passed down from sibling to sibling as they are made from hearty, natural materials rather than cheap plastics.
Having the word Magic in their name is no misnomer as nearly everything they offer has a soupcon of whimsy and enchantment.
Some pieces that stand out are their Tree Fort made from salvaged branches, their toddler walker with wooden blocks made from solid beechwood, and a colorful flowered clothes rack made from Baltic birch.
As stated on their Web site, "Our mission is to provide quality natural-fiber dolls that represent all the colors of humanity; toys with simple designs to encourage creative, imaginative play."
This is exactly what Magic Cabin accomplishes.
-Alex
Well written and informative! Makes me want to go out and buy a piece, particularly the clothes rack!
view livingasart's profile
Nice. I'm glad that sturdy, natural toys are making a comeback and that we have some choices other than Disney's latest plastic movie characters.
Thanks,
B
view Little Man's Daddy's profile
Being that my last child was born 17 years ago and now having a 2 year old nephew I was thrilled to find an article that gave insight to new products on the market for children. It's nice to see that simple, yet whimsical, thought provoking toys are making a comeback. To this day I still love playing with Lincoln Logs.
For my nephew's first Christmas I went flashy as he was so young (under a year). The next Chrsitmas I looked everywhere for Montessori inspired items as my children had attended Montessori preschool and loved the concept of free thinking. However, this proved to be a difficult task.
Sad to say I fell for the hype of Talking Elmo for his last Christmas and I think I may have scared him to death. Thanks to this informative article my nephew may not need psychiatric counseling after this coming Christmas. I've already found several items on Magic Cabin's web-site.
view catoleirish's profile
Thanks for recommending this wonderful resource. There are so many great items on the website, my wife and I will be shopping there for our own children and for gifts.
view nuni's profile
After reading this wonderful article, I wondered where I had seen such toys. I remembered one of the children in my nephew's playgroup owned some of those wooden cars! The quality is amazing, just like you mentioned. I have ordered the garage car playset for my nephew's birthday because I believe in the quality of the product and I know he'll be crazy about them! Thanks for sharing Magic Cabin, I know I will as will my sister and especially my nephew!
view sabina's profile
Oh I really like the store. Its a great place to shop for those special gifts.
Chaka
view Chaka's profile