There aren't many things more discouraging than a playroom full of reject toys that got played with for twenty minutes on Christmas morning then tossed aside. But it's tough to predict what a child will really play with and love. It's so helpful to get input from other moms on things like this.
What are the most played-with toys in your playroom? What toys should every household with young children own?
For my preschooler and toddler the top two toys are IKEA trains and little people.
ReplyDeleteMy two toddler boys play with all kinds of toys but the ones they seem to always go back to are a big box of matchbox cars and Thomas the Train.
ReplyDeleteFor my 2 and 4 year old boys, nothing beats the superhero capes. Pattern found here: http://pukingpastilles.com/?p=57
ReplyDeleteAlso popular are tinker toys, bristle blocks, and puzzles.
I think that the best toy is a kid friendly yard. We have lots of shovels, balls, chalk, and buckets and it keeps my kids happy for days on end.
ReplyDeleteIt also helps to make going outside a privilage instead of just sending kids out there if they are getting on your nerves.
For imaginative play, my girls LOVE play food and dishes. Even when I hold preschool at my house (with boys), this is always one of the first toys pulled out.
ReplyDeleteMy kids LOVED stuffed animals. We have a huge collection. some because absolute favorites and others were just "toys" but they all got played with.
ReplyDeleteThe tried-and-true toys for my 4 yr old son are Legos, homemade blocks, match box cars, our IKEA play kitchen and food, and old Halloween costumes (Batman, SWAT team, Fireman). And of course lots of paper, markers, scissors, and tape. LOTS of tape...
ReplyDeleteLEGOS!!!!! Seriously, my kids just need paper, colored pencils, and legos to be happy. We could get rid of everything else.
ReplyDeleteMy boys love this orange race track I got at Toys R Us that you buy in individual pieces. I think they're actually extension pieces for the bigger matchbox sets. We built race tracks all around the house and see which of our match box cars are the fastest.
ReplyDeleteTrain table and play kitchen (we've had several, but I really like my non-ugly IKEA one). Worth every penny. One toy that seemed really expensive at the time (maybe $100?) is our Step 2 Roller Coaster, but we've had it for 10 years and I'll tell you, kids of all ages love that thing, and it's still in great shape after A LOT of use. It's fun in a backyard, or in an unfinished basement (it got us through three long Ohio winters).
ReplyDeleteWooden blocks. Cars that roll well. Board books with letters, numbers, and photos of people and/or animals. Guitars and drums. Toy houses, barns, or anything with a door that opens. Plastic kitchen items (cups, bowls, plates, silverware, pots, pans, etc.).
ReplyDeletePlay food and dishes are my girls' number one toy. Playskool makes this ball machine that also gets played with a TON. Kids of all ages love this one and we've had it for about 6 years. For my boy, he loves to pull around a wagon and of course play with cars.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter loves her chalkboard ( and I love how easy chalk is to clean up!), "B" toys, little people, and books!
ReplyDeleteLEGOS, Lincoln Logs, IKEA trains, and Little People, and dress-ups are perennial favorites around here. I love the fact that all of them (with the exception of the LEGOS) are equally friendly to chewing babies and creative six-year-olds.
ReplyDeleteAnd this isn't a toy, but my kids probably spend more time looking at books than anything else. Picture books can get really pricey, but I've found that Amazon and the local library sales (where books are usually 50 cents) are a gold mine!
Such a great question!!!! Thank you Bloomies!
ReplyDeleteWe also love the play food and kitchen, and Little People. We also splurged on a slide by Step 2 last Christmas, and my girls will go down that thing 100 times a day. (we keep it inside).
ReplyDeleteToday our tried and true toys are the plastic bins that hold the toys. All the toys were left in heaps and my 3 & 1 year old played with them all day.
ReplyDeletetry these....a toy mom and dad love too!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Magformers-30-Magnetic-Building-Set/dp/B000HDC3QE
play dough!
our wooden blocks and wooden puzzles get much use!! we also love floor puzzles!! oh and light sabers!
can you tell I LOVE toys!?! can't wait to hear more ideas.
Legos, mega blocks duplos, bristle blocks... all great for hours of fun at our house!
ReplyDeleteCostumes! We keep our halloween costumes all year long and my boys LOVE them!
Dress ups are the biggest hit! And my kids prefer large swaths of fabric to premade costumes. Second is Lego's and dolls.
ReplyDeleteI got rid of anything battery powered and no one misses them.
I kind of base it on what other kids play with when they come over as well as what my kids play with most. It's the imaginative play stuff: IKEA tunnels, Melissa & Doug play food, matchbox cars down the kid-sized slide, dress ups, swords & shields, sturdy wooden puzzles, UNO, Go Fish, painting/drawing on the easel, stuffed animals, endless books, I could go on. I may just give away the battery operated stuff they aren't as interested in.
ReplyDeleteMy kids play in their sandbox for HOURS a day. Greatest purchase ever. (And it's nice to live in CA where they can play outside that much!)
ReplyDeleteWe are stuck inside most of the year here, but we love paper, colored pencils, and lots of tape. But, my favorite toys are ZOOBs! My boys and girls love them, and unlike legos, I don't have to worry about the baby choking on them!
ReplyDeleteLove the Blocks! With my last child I had some blocks that my first had played with. When teenagers would come over at lunch they would love to play with her blocks. They are easy to make too.
ReplyDeleteWe have three boys and they have all gone through a stage where they play with the train set every single day.
ReplyDeleteMagnatiles. I can't say it enough.
ReplyDeleteI try to find Legos for my two year old son, but instead legos I also found many sources of best toys for 2 year olds.
ReplyDeleteI try to find Legos for my two year old son, but instead legos I also found many sources of best toys for 2 year olds.
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ReplyDeleteToy Aircraft Carrier