“There’s No Place Like Home”
Encourage interactive, creative play with fabulous Wizard of Oz Toys!
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is a modern classic with a timeless appeal to all ages.
The enchanting story of Dorothy, a little girl from Kansas, who is swept up in a tornado along with her dog Toto to the Land of Oz, is a beloved fairytale enjoyed by children and adults alike!
It is one of my favorite books, which was certainly well loved by my own five children who now read it to their own little ones!
Oz is a magical Land
Wizard of Oz toys not only introduce children to a magical world of fantasy, where they can explore color and sound, but encourage storytelling as an early start to enthusiastic reading.
Dressing up and role play is a wonderful way for small children to communicate. It helps to develop speech and creative thinking.
Toddlers love to repeat rhymes and to sing-a-long to familiar tunes. The movie version of the Wizard of Oz gives ample opportunity to encourage this activity.
Through the Wizard of Oz characters, children can learn to cope with real life situations. Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion are all looking for answers. Dorothy wants to know how to go home, Scarecrow wants a brain, Lion wants courage and Tin-Man wants a heart.
Each learns that they already have they the qualities they desire, and, of course, become great friends along the way. You can use this storyline to help develop self-esteem and to discuss friendships.
Play Idea
Somewhere Over The Rainbow!
The tale of the Wizard of Oz offers endless scope for creative fun with your kids!
Why not start by looking for rainbows. They are so beautiful! Don’t wait for the rain; you can create a rainbow with you garden hose or sprinkler on a sunny day! Remember to stand with the sun behind you, and with your hose on a fine spray.
Take a trip to the beach. Look for rainbows where ocean spray hits the rocks. If you are lucky enough to live near a waterfall, then, looking down into the fine mist of the spray will often reveal a rainbow. Magic!
Now let the kids get really creative with paints and paper. Children love to paint rainbows, and what better way to teach them how to mix colours!
Start with the three primary colors red, yellow and blue and let them experiment with mixing. Red/yellow makes orange. Blue/yellow makes green. Red/blue makes purple.
Try using paint or ink on wet paper and see how the colors run and mix to form beautiful rainbows. Ask the children to think up a story about a rainbow and then act it out!
What to look for
When choosing Wizard of Oz toys.
- The Wizard of Oz is a tale that will be told for generations to come. Choose toys that are well made and safe.
Safety Warning
Safe Play is Happy Play
Just two points:
- Always check that costumes are fire retardant.
- Check that all items are made from non-toxic materials
- Durability is important because they will be well used and may even be handed down to your grandchildren!
- Dressing up costumes for role-play should be made of good quality fabric that is washable. Ideally they should be reasonably loose fitting for comfort and a allow bit of room for growth.
- If buying for a young child, try to look for items that are easy to get on and off so that s/he can be independent when dressing/undressing.
- Look for items that are realistic replicas of Wizard of Oz characters in movies and books. As with dressing up costumes, other Wizard of Oz toys should be recognisable in relation to the well-known characters of the story.
- Felt boards and building block sets need to contain enough pieces to encourage little minds to be creative with as many outcomes as possible. The use of this type of toy is a wonderful aid for increasing hand-eye co-ordination and fine motor skills.
- Check that the size of the pieces does not present a choking hazard either for the child using the toy or for a young brother or sister. Buy good quality blocks. Cheap plastics can produce sharp edges if broken, and cracks in plastic can trap and pinch little fingers.
- It is important to be selective. Wizard of Oz characters offer a diverse range of merchandise from costumes to bed linen sets, DVD’s, CD’s, soft toys, puppets, dolls, jewellery, music boxes and collectibles.
- Consider how your child will benefit from your purchase. Have you got enough space to let your child use the item fully? Where and how will you store it? For example, large building block sets can take up lots of room in the toy box. Instead, you could purchase or make a Wizard of Oz toy box in which to store smaller Oz related items such as puppets etc.
The Wizard of Oz
A Truly Amazing American Fairytale
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum is a well-loved classic American fairytale.
It was first published in 1900 and has enthralled audiences worldwide for over 100 years.
Baum’s masterpiece was first performed on stage in Chicago in 1902 and was a huge success. The following year it took Broadway by storm. Performances continued for a decade.
Most of us have seen the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film The Wizard of Oz in which Judy Garland plays a fresh-faced Kansas girl, Dorothy Gale, who is swept off in a tornado, with her little dog Toto, to the Land of Oz.
Whilst in Oz, she meets up with a myriad of fanciful characters including the Munchkins and flying monkeys, wicked witches and, of course, makes three special friends along the way, Lion, Scarecrow and Tin-man.
Baum’s tale has been translated into several languages across the Globe and has had countless screenings and stage performances, including a Japanese animation in 1982, a Disney film version, The Return of Oz in 1985 and a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987.
Without doubt the tale has a social message, but, the fanciful creatures, spectacular color and memorable music make it a film that I, personally, will never tire of watching!
Here are the Wizard of Oz toys we have reviewed…
Topsy Turvy Doll Good Dorothy/TotoThis Wizard of Oz toy is a unique toy that is both educational and fun!
Four dolls in one! Flip Dorothy over to reveal three other characters from the Wizard of Oz. Scarecrow, Lion and Tin-man. All the characters in one place!
Measuring just 12.00 inches x 8.00 inches x 6.00 inches this could make a perfect travelling companion. There are no small pieces to loose. It’s soft, cuddly and washable, too!
This is the perfect toy to introduce young children to creative storytelling. The Wizard of Oz doll is bright, colorful and stimulating.
Transforming Dorothy into a different Wizard of Oz characters will help to develop children’s fine motor skills.
Play Idea
We’re off to see the Wizard!
When you have all done with rainbows you might find hours of fun creating a yellow brick road.
Cut up heavy cardboard into all different shapes and have the children paint them yellow. Try using different shades of yellow by adding just a touch of red or blue into your main colour.
Don’t forget to get them singing while they work! “Follow The Yellow Brick Road!”
When you have enough ‘bricks’ find a space to build your road. Let the children march from brick to brick to the sound of songs from the movie.
Remember, no standing on the cracks! When the music stops each child must find a brick to stand on, before the music starts again.
What little girl wouldn’t love to dress up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz in this gorgeous outfit?
Young children love to dress-up.
Role play is an excellent way to develop language and communication skills, If your daughter is a budding actress then she will adore this ‘Dorothy’ costume.
The outfit is a beautifully detailed replica of Judy Garland’s blue and white gingham attire in the Wizard of Oz.
It is made from polyester cotton, which is an easy care fabric. This dress is stocked in a wide range of sizes from 6 month to 6 years.
The toddler-sized outfit, 2- 4 years has ribbon fasteners on the back, which is a real bonus for busy mums!
Wizard of Oz Dorothy/Witches Doll Set,Strong sturdy blocks for your little construction worker! Hours of creative fun.
This is a sturdy, durable Wonderful Wizard of Oz set from a well trusted manufacturer. It’s a fabulous addition to any toy box!
The chunky blocks are most suitable for little hands.
This Wizard of Oz toy can be used with other Mega Blok sets. Piecing together interlocking blocks helps develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
It can be used as a play alone toy when mum is busy! The Wonderful Wizard of Oz set comprises of 15 pieces.
This review of Wizard of Oz toys
was written by ..
Rosalind Gunwhy
– Artistic Grandmother with wonderful play ideas
Is there an alternative to Wizard of Oz toys ?
You’ll find some interesting alternatives to Wizard of Oz toys in our review of Bob the Builder toys or you may select another toy category from the sidebar.
Or for something completely different ..
Madame Alexander Dolls Glinda the Good Witch
A very special gift idea!
The Alexander Doll Co. offers a superb collection of Wizard of Oz character dolls.
The collection is aimed at the 6+ age group So, a little time to go yet for your little ones!
But, as the range is quite expensive, why not begin collecting the set now!
Dolls are sold separately. Each has exquisite detail.
The Wizard of Oz Collection includes:
- Glinda the Good Witch
- Wicked Witch of the West
- Mayor of Munchkinland
- Tin Man
- Scarecrow
- Cowardly Lion