Last week I shared a project for making a winter forrest diorama.  This diorama is a perfect home for some of our Ostheimer collection.  We like to put all of our forrest animals in the diorama.  Ostheimer is a company from Germany that makes wooden hand crafted animals and people.  Over the years I have been collecting them, my mother has an even more extensive collection.  She is the one who introduced me to them as a child.    I remember how much I loved to play with them and now my children play with them as well.  It is one of the first things they ask to play with when they go to my mother’s home.   One of the best things about the Ostheimer wooden figures is they last forever.  Below are some photos from my Mother’s and my collection.  Some of the figures pictured below are over 20 years old.

Ostheimer is a family run company started by Margarete Ostheimer.  They have beeen in business for over fifty years.  All the figures are hand carved and painted with non toxic paint.  Ostheimer keeps their figures simple because they believe “If we give [children] the space to use their imaginations while still children, they will be able to deal much more creatively with the reality that surrounds them.” I couldn’t agree more, most times the simplest things bring out the greatest creativity.

Because Ostheimer wooden figures are handmade they are a little pricey.  I usually buy one or two for a Birthday and Christmas, this also keeps them very special in our family. I just came back from Germany and had a wonderful time.  I couldn’t help but pick up a few Ostheimer figures at the Christkindlmarkt.  When In Germany I purchase them at the toy store Obletter, or any toy store that carries wooden toys most likely will sell Ostheimer.  When in the US I purchase them online at the Wooden Wagon, they have quite an impressive selection of Ostheimer and other wooden toys.

-Meta