This Christmas I am trying very hard to buy my children traditional wooden toys.

It is not always possible because what I want for them is not always what they want for themselves and my children may only be three but they know what they want and they are not afraid to tell me.

Or Father Christmas!

Every morning William tells me that Father Christmas will be bringing him ‘a moving on it’s own train with a driver and carriages, a signal box and a station’.

Good job that his Godmother was listening and has bought him this!!

He is going to be beside himself with joy especially when he sees that Esther has her own train and track so will not be interfering with his!

Apart from this most sought after and longed for train set we have mostly chosen wooden toys for Esther and William and stockings full to bursting with traditional stocking fillers.

Esther is getting an amazing traditional dolls house and William another wooden train set and a wooden pirate ship.

They also have a new kitchen and so are getting lots of accessories for that.

If you are also dreaming of a slow Christmas this year then I am hoping I might be able to help you out by sharing some of our favourite toys and some of our favourite places to buy toys that fit the Slow Toy criteria.

Tonight I would like to start by telling you about some items from the lovely Beebies Baby Store.

Esther and William love creating imaginary worlds. They love to act out stories and scenarios they see in their every day life. We live in rural Kent and so share our main village road with tractors and trailers and farm traffic. The fields are full of crops and animals. This farm set would be wonderful for Esther and William to explore and act out adventures. I am certain they would enjoy all the fun of the farm. The windmill is a lovely bonus and can be used for exploring stories and rhymes and adding to the farm play. A wonderful wooden playset.

Staying on the farm, I love this Red Barn Play Set. Esther and William would love the tractor!

The Moover Ride On Dumper Truck is a great toy that grows with your child as they can begin by enjoying the ride and then come to understand how to assemble and separate the truck.

I adore this corner kitchen and think it would be lovely for a family with more than one girl. It is a great size for siblings to play side by side. It is a big buy but I think would bring years of pleasure and learning through play.

Beebies have started to showcase the toys they sell that fit the Slow Toys criteria on one page of their site.

Do go and have a look if you can.