Toys Kids Actually Play With, Part I
I'm feeling a little altruistic this evening, so I decided to do a blog purely designed to save other mommies time and money. As the mother of two toddlers (both girls, though, I might add) I have become an unlikely expert on kids toys: what they play with, what they adore, and what they toss aside. My research has been informal, of course, based largely on watching my girls and their little friends (mostly girls, but some boys as well) and observing what they most like to play with. Here, part one of my list of the top ten things my girls like to play with, in no particular order:
1. Leap Frog Learn & Groove Musical Table, about $40: Yes, it's plastic, but there's nothing this toy can't do. My girls played with it endlessly, especially from the age of 1 to about 2 1/2. It features tons of songs (over 40), a few piano keys, and a billion other buttons, knobs, etc. The songs are not really annoying, which is a boon for moms. It starts out as a floor toy then becomes a table after they are standing. Other Learn & Groove toys that I recommend: The Counting Maracas and The Alphabet Drum. Best for 1-3 year olds.
2. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Song and Story Learning Chair, about $41: When my 3-year-old received this for her 1st birthday, I didn't get it. Until she sat on it and wouldn't get up. It's a little chair with an attached table that features fun activities, from a lamp to turn on and off to music that starts playing when the child sits down. Now my 18 month old loves it, and the three year old still plays with it sometimes. Also highly recommended: Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Baby Grand Piano. Best for 1-3 year olds.
3. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Puppy, $23: I hesitate to recommend this because I frankly find it annoying, but my girls love it so much it needed to be on the list. This little buddy plays games, sings songs, and teaches ABCs, colors, body parts and more. My Eva knows exactly how many times to push his right paw to play "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes," her current favorite. Also recommended: Fisher Price Story Time Rhymes electronic book.
4. Play Silks, $7 each at atoygarden.com or 12 for $60: Okay, enough with the electronic toys for now. They're a necessary evil, but believe it or not, I'm all about low-tech toys, for the most part. I really wanted my girls to like these They're all about open-ended, imaginative play. These simple, 3 foot squares of silk are probably the most played with items in our home, for my girls and all their friends. With their little imaginations, they become forts, blankets, costumes, capes, doll carriers... The possibilities are endless. And they take up NO room in a suitcase, so they're perfect for traveling. An absolute must-have.
5. Haba Escalier Couleurs, $39.99 on oompa.com: Another one of those times when I really hoped my daughters would like something, and they actually did. This is essentially a peg board with five different colors in graduated heights. They teach colors, counting, arranging according to size (is this a skill?), etc. The girls love taking them all out and rearranging them, stacking them, etc. I bought it for my 3-year-old, but I'm surprised that my 1 1/2 year old likes it at least as much. It's one of her favorite toys.
1. Leap Frog Learn & Groove Musical Table, about $40: Yes, it's plastic, but there's nothing this toy can't do. My girls played with it endlessly, especially from the age of 1 to about 2 1/2. It features tons of songs (over 40), a few piano keys, and a billion other buttons, knobs, etc. The songs are not really annoying, which is a boon for moms. It starts out as a floor toy then becomes a table after they are standing. Other Learn & Groove toys that I recommend: The Counting Maracas and The Alphabet Drum. Best for 1-3 year olds.
2. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Song and Story Learning Chair, about $41: When my 3-year-old received this for her 1st birthday, I didn't get it. Until she sat on it and wouldn't get up. It's a little chair with an attached table that features fun activities, from a lamp to turn on and off to music that starts playing when the child sits down. Now my 18 month old loves it, and the three year old still plays with it sometimes. Also highly recommended: Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Baby Grand Piano. Best for 1-3 year olds.
3. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Learning Puppy, $23: I hesitate to recommend this because I frankly find it annoying, but my girls love it so much it needed to be on the list. This little buddy plays games, sings songs, and teaches ABCs, colors, body parts and more. My Eva knows exactly how many times to push his right paw to play "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes," her current favorite. Also recommended: Fisher Price Story Time Rhymes electronic book.
4. Play Silks, $7 each at atoygarden.com or 12 for $60: Okay, enough with the electronic toys for now. They're a necessary evil, but believe it or not, I'm all about low-tech toys, for the most part. I really wanted my girls to like these They're all about open-ended, imaginative play. These simple, 3 foot squares of silk are probably the most played with items in our home, for my girls and all their friends. With their little imaginations, they become forts, blankets, costumes, capes, doll carriers... The possibilities are endless. And they take up NO room in a suitcase, so they're perfect for traveling. An absolute must-have.
5. Haba Escalier Couleurs, $39.99 on oompa.com: Another one of those times when I really hoped my daughters would like something, and they actually did. This is essentially a peg board with five different colors in graduated heights. They teach colors, counting, arranging according to size (is this a skill?), etc. The girls love taking them all out and rearranging them, stacking them, etc. I bought it for my 3-year-old, but I'm surprised that my 1 1/2 year old likes it at least as much. It's one of her favorite toys.
posted by The Beauty Insider @ 8:46 PM
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