Hey there! Let’s talk kids’ tool sets! For children 2 to 6 years old, we’ve gathered the 2021’s top picks — zero batteries, zero sharp edges, and every kind of play tool you could imagine!
For a modern gift you can feel 100% wholesome about — “Wooden” doesn’t mean “Classic”. Modern wooden toolsets offer playability on par or superior to their plastic cousins.
Choosing toys made with eco-balanced materials is something likely to bring good karma into your life.
And to be candid — most design experts (and parents) would agree — wooden tools look better than plastic.
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Top 9 Wooden Tool Sets & Tool Boxes
Today we’re talking about wooden tool sets and wooden tool boxes.
We wrote separate in-depth reviews about play tool benches and tool belts. Or keep reading for a tiny preview of benches and belts — and later we’ll be diving deep into the best kids’ tool sets and toolboxes.
For busy parents — here’s your fast-track to the perfect fix-it play set.
- (01) Melissa & Doug “Take-Along Tool Kit” Wooden Toolbox Toy affords you awesome playability at a nice low price — it’s the world’s #1 most popular.
- (02) Hape Fix-It Kids Wooden Tool Box & Basic Builder Play Set features STEM-friendly gears & play-worthy tools for toddlers 3+ years.
- (03) Palumba Hardwood Tool Box Set With Play Tools is the 100% best quality hardwood toolset for a kids’ heirloom to last generations.
- (04) Green Toys Eco Plastic Tool Set is made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs — eco-safe, child-safe, dishwasher-safe.
- (05) Le Toy Van Wooden Tool Box Play Set For Toddlers is great tool-tastic role play — but not as good for nuts & bolts motor skills.
- (06) Kidwill STEM Tool Kit & Wooden Building Toy Set offers feature-rich building bits set — plus a cool folding wooden tool case.
- (07) Melissa & Doug Tabletop Tool Bench has a “Clamp & Cut” building set that lets kids “cut” their own wooden toy building materials.
- (08) Craftsman “Just Like My Parents” Gift Tool Set For Toddlers is a handy Craftsman gear box for 3+ years.
- (09) Poltora Stolyara “Eco-Contemporary” Handmade Wooden Tool Set takes an artistic designer’s approach to hands-on natural wood tool toys.
Best Toddler Workbenches (Preview)
See the full tool bench review — or take a sneak peek at the top 3 wooden toddler workbenches:
- [A] Hape “Master Workbench” Kid’s Wooden Tool Bench Toy is the one to buy if your toddler is 3 to 6 years old and you don’t have time to shop around.
- [B] Tender Leaf Toys Nordic Design Tabletop Tool Bench For Kids has modern appeal with its contemporary Nordic style.
- [C] Melissa & Doug Solid Wood Project Workbench Play Building Set is an excellent pick — all-natural wood and a lofty 26” tall.
Best Toddler Tool Belts (Preview)
See the full tool belt review — or take a quick look at the top 3 eco-friendly play tool belts:
- [A] Melissa & Doug Deluxe Tool Belt Set checks all the boxes and keeps under budget — for toddlers and kids 3 to 7 years.
- [B] Imagination Generation “Handy Dandy Tool Belt” Wooden Fix-It Play Set offers a great value with 15 realistic play tools.
- [C] Plan Toys Sustainable Rubberwood Pretend Play Tool Belt & Tool Set is a less-is-more Nordic style carpenter belt.
Wooden Toy Tool Shopper’s Tips — What to look for
The right tool for the job is right around the corner.
To help you find the right workbench for your needs — here’s what to look for (6 essential tips):
- Hand tools. Check for essential tools before you buy.
- Tool box. You need a spacious & sturdy storage place.
- Nuts & bolts. Your kids will love “Plug and Play” tools.
- Stuff to build. Open-ended play pieces are my favorite part.
- Age & Safety. Chunky tools are better for the early years.
- Eco-Safe. Natural wood & non-toxic colors are a must.
Okay — you’re all set!
Now let’s head down to the hardware store, get the right tools for the job, and dream big!
Best Toddlers & Kids Tool Toy Sets
(01) Melissa & Doug “Take-Along Tool Kit” Wooden Toolbox Toy
With a sweet low price & awesome playability for 3-5 years — it’s the world’s most popular wooden pretend play toolkit.
If the toolsmith in your life is between the ages of 3 and 5 years — you can’t go wrong with Melissa & Doug brand’s ultra-popular 24-piece wooden tool box set.
The wooden hammer, wrench, and screwdrivers pair perfectly with wooden nails, nuts, bolts, and screws. Open-ended tools that mix-and-match for real fitting and fastening means limitless different ways to play.
For kids with a moderate to severe interest in building things — here’s your perfect starting pack.
The standard set is extra-affordable, and you can pair it with other educational wooden construction toys — to literally give your kiddo the right tools for learning.
Melissa & Doug is one of America’s top-selling brands for educational toys. While they’re not “Generational Quality” — the “Take Along Toddler Toolset” comes with world-class educational toy design at a reasonable cost.
(02) Hape Fix-It Kids Wooden Tool Box & Basic Builder Play Set
One of the most popular wooden toolbox playsets — with STEM-friendly gears & play-worthy tools.
For toddlers and kids ages 3+ years — Hape’s accessory rich 14-piece wooden toddler tool box includes all the tools you’d expect — plus funky gears and open-ended 3D builder gizmos.
I highly recommend you opt-in the the “Basic Builder Play Set” as an added option. Giving your little one little 3D building pieces adds an awesome angle of STEM learning into your toolroom play routine.
Here’s a great example of a toy that successfully bridges STEM learning and pretend play.
Get Hape for the best of both worlds — combining all the fun of using tools like a real handy(wo)man with developmental objectives like hand tool motor skills and fix-it problem-solving.
(03) Palumba Hardwood Tool Box Set With Play Tools
An heirloom-quality hardwood toolset made in the USA with top-grade cherry, maple, and beech wood.
Handcrafted from only the finest cherry, maple, and beech wood selections — Palumba (Camden Rose) is the creme de la creme for true wooden toy connoisseurs.
Or a more common case — for parents of 2+ year old toddlers who want to buy an heirloom quality tool.
Choosing top-quality wood from a trusted American toy maker like Palumba (Plymouth, Michigan) — it’ll withstand rough-and-tumble tool pounding — and still make it as a hand-me-down from older to younger sibling.
The beech wood toolbox measures 11.5″ inches by 6.5″ inches — large enough to hold all 7 hardwood tools — a drill, hammer, saw, wrench, pliers screwdriver, and a right-angle measuring tool to get the right fit.
(04) Green Toys 100% Recycled Eco Plastic Tool Set For Babies & Toddlers
Made from 100% Recycled & Play-Safe Plastic — it’s the one-and-only plastic toddler tool set that’ll sit well with an eco-conscious parent’s conscience.
Which one is not like the rest?
I love wooden tools, but there’s something to say about the benefits of Green Toys.
I basically never recommend plastic toys, but for babies and toddlers 2 years and older — Green Toys is different.
As the name would suggest — their enviro-futuristic toddler tools are made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs. Plastic usually brings icky chemicals and landfills to mind — but this super-safe eco plastic contains none of that stuff (zero toxins, zero BPA, zero phthalates, zero PVC, etc).
“Rub-a-dub and a wrench-a-roo — it’s tool set bath time for me and you!”
Plus — the entire toolset is dishwasher safe. If you don’t want to wash your wooden toys by hand – that’s a time-saver you and a frittata latté on the patio are going to enjoy.
Hey ladies and pastel lovers — it’s available in pastel too.
(05) Le Toy Van Wooden Tool Box Play Set For Toddlers
Ideal for tool-tastic role play — it’s a delightful toolset designed for imaginative pretend play.
You’re going to see lots of wooden toy toolboxes today — and this one’s got a surprising little feature you shouldn’t skip over.
In addition to the standard carrying handle and top storage — this thing comes with a real-working pull-out wooden tool drawer like I’ve never seen before.
The inside of the pull-out tool till even has the outline of each tool shape — to help toddlers with the building blocks of Marie Kondo style organizational skills.
It includes some fine-motor activities (like working with nuts and bolts) — but you don’t get building pieces like other sets. That’s a little bummer.
Recommended for 3 years and older — this 12-piece it’s got all the essentials — made with delightful design. The best kind of toys encourage interaction — and this is exactly the kind of set your toddler will come talking to you about!
(06) Kidwill STEM Tool Kit & Wooden Building Toy Set
A full 33-piece wooden tool set — complete with children’s hand tools, a folding wooden tool case, and “Little Builder” pieces.
Kidwill’s fully-feature 33-piece set accommodates a wide age range — from babies just 24 months to kids as old as 6 years. Albeit — by the looks of it, it’s most in-tune with 3 to 5 years.
This is the perfect set for toddlers to work on their STEM skills — building models with a wide array of curious nuts, bolts, and wooden building parts.
It has all the tools you could think of — perfectly sized to work with the “Little Builder” wooden construction play pieces.
Did you notice those little characters on the tool handles?
“Mr. Ruler, you haven’t you seen Mrs. Wrench around here by chance, have you?”
My best guess is Kidwill is a “Manufacturer Brand” — so unlike the other brands showcased so far — you might not expect to see Kidwill brand around for Christmas next year.
But that’s alright “Manufacturer Brands” like this typically offer low-cost toy tool-sets with plenty of accessories. And since there’s no real brand affinity — you just choose whichever tool toy has the best band for your buck!
Try out “Toywoo” or “Fun Little Toys” for other generic brand wooden toolsets.
My other favorite inexpensive generic brand wooden toddler tool set is from the Robud brand — painted in bold “Safety First Yellow on Black” for an authentic caution tape utility look.
When you’re shopping for low-priced generic brand tool sets alternatives
(07) Melissa & Doug Tabletop Tool Bench With “Clamp & Cut” Building Set
A compact-sized kids’ workbench — with a clamp and wood for kids to “cut” their own 3D building materials.
Appropriate for toddlers age 3 to kids age 8 — Here’s another handy-dandy wooden play set from the Melissa & Doug brand.
The first Melissa & Doug model offers a traditional length-wise open-top tool box. This one’s got a “Table Saw Tool Bench” at ≈8” inches tall — with real play wood cutting pieces.
With a real-working clamp — you can fasten “wooden panel building pieces” to the work surface and use the saw tool to “cut” them to proper size for your project.
Beyond the mini tool table and set of 5 basic wooden play tools — enjoy building with 26 building pieces. Like wooden panels to connect and saw apart — they include little tabs to keep them back to back before you use tools to pry them apart.
It’s a well-rounded wooden tool pack for a wide age range of kids that covers the most common play objectives — imagination, learning, and motor development.
(08) Craftsman “Just Like My Parents” Gift Tool Set For Toddlers (3+ Years)
Fan of Craftsman tools & gear? Get a handy Craftsman gearbox for your kid — all with the logo and that unmistakable red.
Do you already have a set of Craftsmen brand hand tools out in the garage? Here’s your one-way ticket to gifting a child-sized toolset and work area exactly like your own.
Nothing’s particularly innovative about this Craftsman “Take Along” set. Honestly, it’s very similar to Melissa & Doug’s “Take Along” set — just branded with Craftstman’s signature red color and bold white logo.
It’s got just 3 tools — a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench — which fit the 20-piece nuts, bolts, washers, and joints wooden knick-knacks set.
(09) Poltora Stolyara “Eco-Contemporary” Handmade Wooden Tool Set
A “Designer’s Best Friend” tool toy — from a Russian toymaker and lifestyle designer who handmakes wooden toy hand tools using real adult-sized hand tools.
Здравствуйте (“zdravstvuyte” – hello in the Russian language)!
Poltora Stolyara is the rarest pick on the list — so I’m sure you’re the first in your circle of friends to hear about it. Oddblocks express!
Handmade with solid ash and beech woods and natural bio-happy protective oils — the toy-making process at this bespoke workshop starts with select sustainable materials.
Left unpainted to maintain the natural woodgrains’ beauty — my favorite part about Poltora Stolyara is aesthetic design.
As a perfect balance between “Realistic Versus Stylized Tool Toys” — my personal opinion is it’s the best-looking set on the list.
As a wooden toy reviewer, blogger, expert, and connoisseur — it’s these rare finds from toy designers who truly understand wood that I like most.
