Papoose Toys - Rainbow Gnomes Wood Bodies (7 Piece Set)

The set is made up of seven miniature felt gnomes, each with a wood body dressed in a colourful cape and a matching hat. Every gnome stands about 10.5 cm high, giving a small group of characters children can hold and pose.

Each gnome combines a wood body with 100% wool felt capes and hats, coloured using non-toxic colourfast dyes. They are all hand-stitched by skilled crafts people in Nepal under fair-trade practices, so small differences in colour and shape are part of every piece.

As waldorf educational toys the seven gnomes each wear a different colour, which makes them a natural tool for colour recognition. Children can name the colours, match or sort the gnomes and group them, learning through open-ended play rather than a fixed task.

Each gnome measures about 10.5 cm high, a comfortable size for small hands to grip and stand upright. The wood body gives a little weight and stability, so the gnomes can be posed in a scene or lined up as a colourful group.

The gnomes suit imaginative, open-ended play where children invent roles and adventures for each character. They fit into small world scenes, act as a family or team, and pair well with felt mats, blocks and other figures to build a wider story.

Because the capes and hats are wool felt, wool cleaning care applies, so gentle spot cleaning is best rather than soaking or machine washing. The wood bodies simply need a wipe with a barely damp cloth, and both should be left to air dry.

The set of seven makes a considered gift for families who like natural, handmade toys and a Waldorf inspired approach. As a fair-trade, hand-stitched collection with colourful characters, it gives children a small cast to play with straight away and keep for years.