How to Play with a Grimm's Rainbow: The Ultimate Rainbow Play Guide
Oskar's Wooden Ark | July 06, 2021
The Grimm's Large Rainbow is one of the most popular and versatile wooden toys around. It is one of the first items we sold at Oskar's Wooden Ark and it is the inspiration behind the rainbow in our logo.
But what exactly is a Grimm's Rainbow? Is it really worth the money? What age group is the Grimm's Rainbow suitable for? How do I play with it?
These are some of the questions we hope to answer for you in this, our Ultimate Guide to the Grimm's Large Rainbow. We’ve included some background information, a few fun facts and loads of play ideas to help you decide whether this wonderful open-ended wooden toy really could be the perfect addition to your play room, Toy Library, Early Learning Centre or school.
We're drooling over Steph's gorgeous Grimm's stash!
What are Grimm's wooden toys?
Grimm’s Spiel & Holz Design is a family-owned German toy manufacturer who create natural hand-crafted toys from sustainably-sourced wood. Inspired by the Montessori and Waldorf pedagogies, Grimm’s toys are beautiful, tactile and simple - designed to appeal to children and adults of all ages. They can be played with in a myriad of ways, making them the perfect choice for open-ended play and learning.
What is the Grimm's Rainbow, and is it worth all the fuss?
Grimm's have created rainbows in many different colours and sizes, but for the purpose of this article we will be referring to the Grimm's Large 12-Piece Rainbow, which comes in a choice of colours - Brights, Natural, Pastel or Monochrome. Measuring a sizeable 38cm in length and 18cm in height, this beautiful toy is cut from a single piece of lime wood and stained using non-toxic, water-based colours, allowing the natural grain from the wood to shine through. It truly is a special piece! In fact, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Grimm's Rainbow is not actually a toy at all, but rather a fancy playroom decoration. We want to assure you that this couldn't be further from the truth. While we can't deny that the Grimm's Rainbow makes a very attractive addition to any playroom shelf or mantelpiece, it is in fact one of the most versatile toys around - designed to be enjoyed in numerous wonderful ways by children and adults alike. It is, we believe, one of the very best open-ended wooden toys that money can buy!
Check out the entire range of Grimm's Rainbows HERE.
The Grimm's 12-Piece Rainbow. Photo: Ruth
Open-ended rainbow play in nature. Photo: Ruth
What is open-ended play and how can open-ended toys support my child's development?
Open-ended play is play without limits. When a child engages in open-ended play, there are no rules, there is no pre-determined outcome and there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to play. The child is free to fully engage their imagination to take their play in any direction they wish. Open-ended toys and materials can be incorporated into a child's play in endless ways and their play will look different every time. They'll be learning a whole lot in the process too!
The Grimm's Rainbow is the perfect example of an open-ended toy. It can be incorporated in all areas of play, including stacking, sorting, building, role play, small world play, active play, imaginary play and more. In a child's hands, the colourful pieces of a Grimm's Rainbow can be anything they want them to be - building blocks for a castle, tunnels for their cars and trains, beds for their dolls, obstacles to jump over (or even wriggle through), walls for animal enclosures, tracks for a ball run...Scroll down to the Ideas Section of this article to see what we mean!
What's more, playing with a Grimm's Rainbow will support children to develop many cognitive skills including problem-solving, sequencing, colour recognition, motor skills, balance and counter-balance, concentration, communication and language - as well as engaging their creativity and imagination.
Learning through play with the Grimm's Rainbow. Photo: Jess
Little hands discovering the Grimm's Rainbow. Photo: Ruth
What age group is the Grimm's Rainbow suitable for??
The Grimm's Rainbow really is for everyone! It is safe for babies, thanks to the chunky pieces and natural non-toxic finish and it will prove great fun for both children and adults! Watch your children's play evolve as they grow and develop and as their interests change.
The Grimm's Rainbow is a toy for the whole family. We love that it gets parents down on the floor playing with their toddlers or older siblings playing happily together with their younger siblings; not to mention the fun and games to be had after the little ones are in bed and the adults get the chance to try out some challenging structures and epic ball runs of their own. We've seen Mums, Dads and Grandparents get these colorful pieces to balance in the most extraordinary ways!
This truly is a timeless toy and one that you'll want to keep in your playroom or family room for years to come.
Okay, you've convinced me. I've got myself (erm, I mean my kids) a Grimm's Rainbow. Now how do we play with it?
Hurrah! How exciting!
The best part about the Grimm's Rainbow is that it really doesn't need any instructions. We're pretty confident that you and your little ones will soon be coming up with plenty of fabulous play ideas of your own. This is, after all, the true beauty and benefit of open-ended play.
That said, we have been so inspired by some of the ideas that our wonderful content creators have shared with us that we wanted to pass them on. See them as a starting point, and then let your imagination go wild.
Do you have Pinterest? Why not pin some of these Grimm's Rainbow ideas to your Pinterest boards to try later.
Happy playing!
Grimm's Rainbow Play Ideas
Now for the fun part. Let's start with a video from Kelly, showing us 5 ways that she and her family enjoy playing with their Grimm's Rainbow:
The team at Oskar’s Wooden Ark love playing too! Check out this fab compilation of Grimm’s Rainbow play clips from our videographer John, including a car ramp, a Grimm’s bicycle and some seriously cool 2-D and 3-D creations. This is proof that adults have at least as much fun as kids with the Grimm’s Large Rainbow:
Here are some more ideas of things you can build, create and do with your Grimm's Rainbow:
1. Build a simple Grimm's ball run or maze
2. Stack and sculpt
3. Imaginative small world play
The Grimm's Rainbow and BRIO train sets - a match made in heaven (Video: Kelly)
4. Role Play
A bed for your cuddly toys (Photo: Kelly)
An enormous cake - Grimm's Pastel Rainbow and Natural Semi Circles (Photo: Jess)
5. Grimm's Fancy Dress? Don't mind if I do!
6. Explore Colour
A Rainbow Nature Colour Hunt (Photo: Ruth)
Colour-matching with Clicques Dolls (Photo: Steph)
Draw a rainbow with Kitpas crayons (Photo: Kelly)
7. Get Active
A Barefoot Sensory Walk (Photo: Ruth)
Grimm's Roll and Count (Photo: Kelly)
Grimm's Beanbag Toss (or in this case, Sarah's Silks Toss) (Photo: Jana)
Grimm's Roll and Count - A fun game for the whole family (Video: Kelly)
8. Take your play to the next level
Do you want to know how the Grimm's Rainbow can be combined with other wooden toys for even more epic fun? Check out the amazing ball runs and small world scenes that Jana has created for her boys using the Grimm's Rainbow together with other items from her wonderful wooden toy collection from Oskar's Wooden Ark:
A Grimm's Palace
Ball run using Grimm's and Kaden
A Grimm's playground and apartment block, complete with the cutest furniture
Epic Grimm's marble run with Flockmen Dominoes
Jana shows us how to create a Grimm's Rainbow World
We hope you've enjoyed reading our Ultimate Rainbow Play Guide and that you've been inspired by the fantastic play and learning potential of this wonderful toy. We really can't rave about the Grimm's Rainbow enough. It's superb quality and timeless appeal mean that it will be played with again and again for many years to come. A true heirloom toy! Happy playing!
