snickerplum Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Hello, all! I think my children are bored of their toys. Most of them, anyways. We have a toy rotation schedule for the week and now when we get out a new group of toys they seem to only play with them for about a half-hour or so. I'm feeling the need to purge most of them (only keeping favorites) and get some new things. Our different groups are baby dolls and accessories, kitchen things, littlest pet shop, dress up, and doll houses. We always have out books, our son's train table in his room and his trucks. Our ages are 7, 5, 3 and 2. What would be some good, creativity-stimulating, non-annoying toys? :) We also have some board games, puzzles and coloring books they can play with. But they mostly make messes of the board games.... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Blocks....number 1 favorite here. Wooden, small, jumbo....whatever you can find Duplos (they can combine later with legos), I got a huge lot of ebay a while ago that had lots of fun pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Duplo, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, and plain wooden blocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Duplos are very popular here. Dd makes houses and such for the my Little Ponies. Melissa and Doug make magnetic dolls both in boys and girls. Dd and ds both love playing with those. Dinosaurs or farm animals are played with daily. Woodkins make dolls that you can use fabric scraps to dress. Dd will play with that for hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Wooden blocks were a hit here for years. Just make sure to get some nice hardwood ones and they will last forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 ohh.. yes melissa and doug dress up dolls are a favorite... I'm itching to get those large cardboard "bricks" like they have at preschools... I know DS3 would love them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I wonder if you keep them on the same rotation all the time, or mix and match "categories". Sometime the best creative play around here happens when strange combinations of toys get mixed in spontaneous play. Smilie from dd7: :leaving: Smilie from ds10: :001_tt2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I agree with Amy. It was a huge mess but often the Little People were hosting a horse show while the Pooh toys provided the lunch and the doll house people were in the crowds, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I would definitely try different combinations of toys. My girls love to play with their littlest pet shop with the dollhouse and often dress up to make meals for their baby dolls with their kitchen stuff. As far as new toys I would aim fr open ended things that can be combined with what you already have (blocks for example can be used to build houses for pet shop characters or garages and roads for cars) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 The toys that have stood the test of time here are Calico Critters and Magna-Tiles, to build cities and houses for the Calico Critters. Dolls and their accessories grew in importance when my girls were old enough for AG dolls. I think they were about 7&9. When my kids were younger, closer in age to yours, I found that interest in their current toys could be reignited by introducing a variation. For example, if we read a book about a pizza shop the girls would turn their play kitchen into a pizza shop for a week or so. I'd help them make menus, and given them ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Wooden unit blocks with cars, play silks, and Schleich/Papo/Safari figures are the all-time favorite toy here. Citiblocs are also wonderful and incredibly versatile. Legos, obviously, but with little ones you have to worry about choking hazards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 a few great big (or even ordinary) sized cardboard boxes equals hours of creative fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Magneatos and Wedgits are hits here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickerplum Posted March 22, 2013 Author Share Posted March 22, 2013 Thank you for the great ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Don't forget the occasional cardboard box. Hours of play time and it can go to recycling when done. Otherwise, legos/duplo, lincoln logs, calico critters and hot wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 Legos and Duplos. Those get played with more than anything else around here (by the girl as well as by the boys). Blocks, too; we keep ours in a big bin with the wooden train pieces. Little People playsets have been big hits with most of our kids as well. If they don't have them, playsilks or large cloths might be nice. I remember DD getting a lot of use out of them in the preschool years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted March 22, 2013 Share Posted March 22, 2013 The toys that have stood the test of time here are Calico Critters and Magna-Tiles, to build cities and houses for the Calico Critters. Dolls and their accessories grew in importance when my girls were old enough for AG dolls. I think they were about 7&9. When my kids were younger, closer in age to yours, I found that interest in their current toys could be reignited by introducing a variation. For example, if we read a book about a pizza shop the girls would turn their play kitchen into a pizza shop for a week or so. I'd help them make menus, and given them ideas. Yes! Little prop kits -- menus and pizza toppings for a pizza shop, tickets and passports to play airport, medical equipment and lab coat to play doctor or vet, etc. would probably be fun. Kids are good at improvising, but sometimes having a paper to write on, or a passport that you can put stickers on, or the like, can add to the play value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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