Clockwork Garden

• 24 gears in five sizes, 48 peg holes: endless layouts
• Mounts on a wall or lies flat on a table
• Flower and bee toppers show which way each gear turns
• Spacers keep fingers clear of the wall behind

Clockwork Garden is a 60 × 45 cm birch pegboard with 48 holes and 24 wooden gears in five sizes. Children put gears on pegs wherever they like and turn the crank. If the teeth mesh, the whole chain turns. If one gear is out of place, everything after it stays still, and working out why is the game.

Mechanics you can see

Next-door gears always turn in opposite directions; the flower and bee toppers make that visible at a glance. A big gear driving a small one makes the small one spin fast; the other way round it turns slowly but with more force. Children discover gear ratios years before they hear the word, simply because the bee on the tiny gear spins faster.

Wall or table

Mounted on the wall at the child’s chest height, it takes up no floor space and stays set up. That is the main reason parents choose a wall toy. The included spacers hold the board 2 cm from the wall so fingers never get trapped. It also works flat on a table or floor, with the feet included.

Made to last

The gears are 9 mm birch ply with the teeth cut by CNC, so they mesh smoothly, and the pegs are solid beech. The colours are water-based and EN 71-3 tested.

What’s in the box

• Pegboard (60 × 45 cm) with 48 holes
• 24 gears in 5 sizes
• 4 flower and bee toppers
• 1 crank handle
• Wall fixings and spacers
• Instructions

Size, materials and care

Size: 60 × 3 × 45 cm (W × D × H), 3.2 kg. Materials: FSC birch plywood, beech pegs, water-based paint. Recommended age: 4 years and up.

Wipe with a damp cloth. Check the wall fixings every few months.

Safety

Tested to EN 71-1, EN 71-2, EN 71-3 and CE marked. Small parts warning: not for children under 3.

Questions about Clockwork Garden

What do children learn from gear toys?

Cause and effect, the idea that meshing gears turn in opposite directions, and that a large gear driving a small one makes it spin faster. They also practise planning and problem-solving when a chain doesn’t turn.

How is the gear wall mounted?

With four screws and wall plugs (included) through the corner spacers, which keep the board 2 cm off the wall. On plasterboard, use cavity fixings. It can also stand flat on a table.

Is it suitable for a 3-year-old?

It is labelled 4 and up because the smallest gear tops are under the small-parts limit. With a 3-year-old, leave the smallest gears and toppers in the box.