EmmaNZ Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 on children's toys, what would you buy? The children are ds7, dd5, dd3 and ds1. They have very litle compared to most children so the canvas is blank. Really interested to know what your top picks are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I would get a play kitchen. That was easily the best money I ever spent on a toy. Some fun pots and pans, utensils - we still have some of our kitchen toys (not the kitchen itself) and I get cracked up watching my 12 yo make "potions" in the backyard with her siblings. We bought all of that for her 2 yo birthday so - 4 kids and 10 years worth of play out of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Rubbaboos cars (favorites around here) play kitchen and accessories anything by Melissa and Doug Straws and connectors are great fun for the bigger kids wedgits peg boards with pegs lacing sets (lacing boards as well as beads with laces) I tend to buy toys that are educational though my kids have many that are not (dora playset, baby dolls, bakugans etc) Other ideas would be outdoor play things, balls, skipping ropes, scooter boards, sidewalk chalk, bug catching kits, sand toys etc. ETA: I can't believe I forgot to put legos and blocks, ours get sed daily. The puppets get used too but it is more sporadic so they are nice to have but not all kids play with them enough to warrant the cost (though most of ours I bought at the $store or second hand so that helped) Edited February 20, 2012 by swellmomma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmama Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Something of high play value, meaning it can be used for many different activities. Lincoln logs, soft building blocks, arts and crafts things like paper and nice colored pencils or crayons. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Wooden train set, puppets, play kitchen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 It so depends on the kid. My oldest was really, really, really into legos. I got duplos when he was younger. He also was VERY content to have a pad of unlined paper and a pencil. On a plane trip across the country once I had packed tons of toys....he wanted none of them.....the pad of paper and pencil was all he wanted and he drew for hours, even at age 3-4. Girls, well, that is out of my league! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 High quality blocks A play kitchen is a fantastic idea if they have space for it Books Puzzles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I'm not sure what the shipping costs would be on these, but I bought some at the Cincinnati homeschool conference 2 years ago, and my kids play with these almost every day. They can be used in so many different ways. We love them. I think something along those lines would be a good investment. These are similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 A small pop up play tent was one of THE most used toys my kids had, and the grandkids love theirs, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Playmobil, some games, and something for outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3innc Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 You've already had great ideas. I really try to go for timeless, never runs out of fun type toys so... -small wood play kitchen plus some food -legos, lincoln logs, blocks (basically something good for building...the youngers wouldn't be ready for legs yet so maybe one of others) -pop up tent -zoobs (my kids just love these) -Melissa and Doug toys -for my boys, Fisher Price Imaginext has hands down been the best money I ever spent. They have different "lines" of them--space, castle, police station, batcave, diving ship, pirate ship, etc... We will pick one and then get everything for that line for their birthdays/Christmas for one year. To say they love them is an understatement. They have had some of them for 4 years and still play with them consistently everyday. Some of the best ones (castle, pirate ship) have been discontinued so it may be an ebay thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 $80 on the wooden toy kitchen from Target. $25 for play pots and pans, utensils, and food from Ikea. $70 for Melissa & Doug unit blocks. $20 for a 20-car pack of Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars. $15 for two Safari "Toobs" of animal figurines. $50 for LEGO Bricks & More Deluxe Set. $10 for a pop-up tent from Ikea. $30 for assorted stuffed animals - probably from Ikea, where they're both cute and cheap. Gosh, can you tell that my daughter isn't a doll person? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) Playmobil. You may have to put up some of the small pieces until your youngest is older, but mine all played with Playmobil daily from the time they were 2. They still do. Playmobil does make a toddler line, slightly bigger with no small pieces. Legos or Megablocks or Duplos K'nex Junior sets Dress up clothes and "props" These are pretty much all that my kids play with, and they have for years. The Imaginext sets that a PP mentioned are also great, but I have found that the figures get tons more play than the "set" (boat, car, cave, whatever). That is true of the Playmobil sets as well. I'd also add good art supplies--colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks, paper, markers, watercolor and tempura paints--and some stuffed animals or rag dolls. And books. Edited February 20, 2012 by urpedonmommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 $80 on the wooden toy kitchen from Target.$25 for play pots and pans, utensils, and food from Ikea. $70 for Melissa & Doug unit blocks. $20 for a 20-car pack of Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars. $15 for two Safari "Toobs" of animal figurines. $50 for LEGO Bricks & More Deluxe Set. $10 for a pop-up tent from Ikea. $30 for assorted stuffed animals - probably from Ikea, where they're both cute and cheap. Gosh, can you tell that my daughter isn't a doll person? This looks like a great list to me - a decent assortment that covers all ages/genders and will last a long time! I do not know what Melissa and Doug unit blocks are - I would go with a big set of wooden blocks, maybe also a set of those cardboard bricks (you have to fold them up yourself - we had them and they lasted through four kids!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 For our family the toy that got the most use was wooden blocks. When they're little they love knocking town stacks of blocks. As they get older their imagination determines how the blocks will be used--as a castle or a bridge or road or animal enclosures. Our blocks were hand-me-downs from sil; they lasted through all my dc and are now back at sil's for her new grandson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukale Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 sand box with a cover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Wedgits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I, too, would get a play kitchen OR a Playmobil castle set, depending on space and interest. Dress-up items and silk scarves A set of quality wood blocks Books Markers, crayons, paper, sidewalk chalk Balls and a hippity-hop for outdoor play If there's room, I'd also go get a couple huge boxes from the furniture or appliance store. These are the kinds of toys that have stood the test of time with my kids and have been played with from toddlerhood until now. I'd add Legos, too, but the littles are a bit young for that. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 At those ages I would have spent that money on Lego, purchased by the pound on eBay, playsilks, and felt, floss, paint and wooden pegs to make characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 A play kitchen w/ pots/pans and some food. Lots of Duplo blocks, books, tinker toys, lincoln logs, dress up clothes (we liked to buy halloween costumes on sale, or check thrift stores), pop up tents didn't last but my kids loved the pop up tunnels to crawl through. Some board games like guess who, clue jr., and an inexpensive swing set or sand box for the yard. Even a single rope swing that can be hung from a tree. Fischer price little people play set for the little will last for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennsmile Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Great suggestions so far. I am wishing we had less toys. Zoo membership, children's museum membership would be on my list. What about some musical instruments of some kind for kids to play. I know my boys love to pull our our instruments and play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I would get a really nice set of standard, wooden unit blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 sand box with a cover Oh my gosh- I forgot about that! Our younger two had one and played with it for YEARS, and even when their older sisters were teenagers, we'd find the girls and their friends playing in the sand box. I know now it's not healthy, but we always bought that superfine white sand. It was like a beach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momma2Many66 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Magnatiles !! It is one of my children's favorite toys in our home next to Lego and Playmobil. All my children enjoy our MagnaTiles, from my 13 year old down to my 6 year old, they get played with daily. They are pricey, but well worth the money in play value as well as durability !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 My kids enjoyed/ played most with: wooden blocks magnets and a magnetic easel art supplies and paper (tape, scissors, markers, dry erase markers and boards...) Legos wooden train sets balls of various sizes crawling tunnel or tent play kitchen and food pretend cash register small sets of animals (the type that come in tubes) small stuffed animals They do enjoy computers and computer games a lot also, so the above list is exclusive of that activity. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundAbout Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 With that many children and those ages I would spend at least $200 on standard wooden blocks. I bought my son his first set when he turned 1 and they are still played with every.single.day. We've bought a few other sets since then. They are simple, don't break, and are attractive enough to keep in the living room. I would take the other $100 and put together a small basket of Schleich animal figures, cars, trains, Playmobil people figures, and maybe some wooden dollhouse furniture. All of this stuff + blocks = 90% of the toy play in our house. If I had to do it again I would have skipped the play kitchen (we have a lovely home built one) and just gone with the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker25 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I try to keep it simple around here. We have: Legos Matchbox cars and a couple of simple racetracks Trains with some mix and match tracks play food and dishes blocks dolls with clothing and other accessories dress up clothes (mostly scarfs and some boy stuff) Little People and some action figures that found there way in via grandparents Melissa and Doug stuff is always welcomed around here For outside I always have: Jump ropes balls hula hoops bubbles sidewalk chalk a kiddie pool some digging toys (shovels, buckets, watering can..) Also art supplies. Playdough, paints, markers, lots and lots of blank paper, crayons, coloring pencils, stencils, stickers.. the list is endless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I would check out what's available at yard sales and that $300 would be able to buy a lot of great toys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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