Wee Size Dump Truck {Giveaway}

There is something special about a toy that was built by hand. I can’t really express it in words, and you just don’t fully appreciate it as a child, but to look at the Wee Size Dump Truck, you get a real sense that the person that built this toy loves what they do. We miss that a lot in our modern lives; most things around us are injection molded plastic and mass produced by machines. Looking back at toys from my childhood that I loved, of course there were numerous mass produced plastic toys that I loved, but I distinctly remember a very simple wooden boat that had a rubber band on it and a propeller, you would turn the propeller to twist the rubber band, put it in the water, and off it would go. I was probably five years old and I loved that toy. I played with it that whole summer long. 

When I first saw the “Wee Size” toy, I thought to myself, well it actually isn’t very wee at all, it is a pretty big toy for a wooden truck. The truck is about a foot long and nearly a half of a foot tall. At first glance you think, okay it’s a wooden truck, it rolls, the bed of the dump truck actually moves up and, so that is pretty cool. It’s when you start to take a close look at this toy that you start to notice that the person that made it has gone into great details in the construction. The body starts with one solid piece of wood to make it strong and rigid. From the base the truck is built up in layers. The details you start to notice are things like the tires of the truck. The tires are also wooden; they have been shaped to have a rounded outer edge, just like a tire would have. The dowels that hold the wheels on the truck are rounded on the outside, so they resemble an actual truck’s hub. 

You look a little closer and you see that the person that made this truck went to the trouble actually cut grooves around the outside of the tire surface to simulate tire treads. When you are looking at that detail, you will then notice that there are actually two wheels together on the rear sets of tires, just like an actual dual rear wheel dump truck would have. After those features, I really started to scrutinize the way this truck was made, and then noticed that the joints of the dump truck bed were made with dado joints to give them strength. The fender wells are cut and shaped to simulate a real trucks look, and the exhaust stacks are made from two different size dowels to give it a more realistic appearance. 

Again the details of this toy are what make it different from your typical run of the mill wooden truck. There are so many ways that it could be made easier, or less expensively, but I doubt the person that made this toy would ever allow that to happen, especially if it were going to have their name on it. This is a true craftsman’s work, not something a machine spit out. I don’t know the person who made it, but I can tell that it was a labor of love. 

The truck is unfinished natural wood. Although it probably was never the intent of the person that built it, I could see where children would take great pride customize this toy. Maybe use some non-toxic milk paint and put their own finishing touches on it, making it their own, and maybe even teaching them from a young age about the value of something that you do with your own hands.

Most of the wooden toys that are sold at My Father's Hands Wooden Toys are available in Wee, Large and XL sizes for children of all ages.

How My Father’s Hands came to be-When our son first saw the truck I had made for him, his face lit up. Right then my wife and I knew we wanted to share this awesome experience with other parents and so My Father’s Hands came to be. Having had the pleasure of making wooden toys for our children, we are now proud to be able to transform nature’s gifts into toys for others. We believe that our handcrafted toys, which encourage imaginations and boundless creativity, are sure to inspire many hours of play.  At My Father’s Hands we feel a great sense of responsibility to both our customers and the environment therefore we create toys keeping true to the following:

• We use only those materials which are toxin free.
• Each toy is sanded to a smooth finish with all corners rounded for safety. In addition, all joints are glued and wooden dowels are used thus eliminating the use of nails and screws.
• Our primary wood of choice is Southern Yellow Pine which is a regionally renewable resource, harvested and prepared at a local sawmill.

About Marlon-Raised on a farm in the Morrow Mountains of rural North Carolina, I am the proud father of two amazing children. Growing up I would often steal a moment between chores, to create wooden treasures. Embarking on my journey of fatherhood I found a new purpose for my love for woodworking. Being able to transform rough stocks of lumber into satin smooth battery – free wooden toys for my children, has been an exciting and fulfilling endeavor.

Now my hope is to be able to share the pleasure of imaginative play with you and to encourage creativity through my handcrafted wooden toys~Marlon

At My Fathers Hands they are committed to replenishing nature’s gifts and therefore will be planting a tree for each toy purchased through Trees for the Future.

BUY IT-This is not necessary to enter. 

GIVEAWAY-1 lucky reader will receive 1 Wee Size Dump Truck valued at $55

TO ENTER-Visit My Father’s Hands and make a comment below about what you liked.

RULES-This contest is open to the US and CANADA. You have until 11:55 p.m. EST September 9, 2010 to enter. The winner will be chosen by random.org on September 10, 2010 and announced after the winner responds to the winning email. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email, or a new winner will be chosen. Very important-you MUST leave your email address and any required links for me to verify.  Please see Giveaway Rules for more information.

BONUS ENTRIES -Optional and only valid after the mandatory entry has been completed. Leave 1 comment for each additional bonus entry you complete below including with each your e-mail address so that I can easily contact the winner. 

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Thanks to My Father’s Hands for sponsoring this awesome giveaway!

**Disclaimer: The product(s) mentioned above have been given free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on 

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