In the past year, what toys have had the most play/longevity for your kiddo and which have been a waste of space? As we focus on a new year of birthdays and celebrations, let’s give each other some ideas and inspo for what to seek and what to avoid!
Thought we could help each other out as we plan for the year ahead!
My son is currently 22 months. Items with the most longevity over the past year:
Play kitchen with running water and storage. $75. - Bought a new in box Melissa & Doug play kitchen with cabinet under sink. Drilled holes in sink for drainage and installed a $13 water pump made for 5 gal water containers. Velcro adhesive light switch that lights up. And we keep some snacks in there so he can bring us food if he wants to eat it. We have a cutting board velcroed to the countertop and he cuts his strawberries and hard boiled eggs there with his toddler safe kitchen tools. This has been a GAME CHANGER for teeth brushing and hand washing. A year ago he used it to cruise and learn to open doors, etc. I can’t wait to watch this grow with him!
SEREED balance bike $32 - This has been the most used toy in the house. He has learned so many skills with it in the past year and while he is now growing out of it, I would 10/10 recommend this purchase.
BEST CHOICE 3 in 1 picnic table with sensory bins & umbrella $99 - this has been amazing for outdoor play! A year ago he was learning to sit on it and it was a bit big for him, but he enjoyed playing with water/sand sensory and eating on it when we had outdoor BBQ’s. He’s totally into it now and can almost get the “lid” off by himself. I put shellac on it to give it some outdoor resilience and bought a table cover for it to protect it as well. I see this being something he can use for another 2-3 years! Great for playing with friends or siblings too! And there are so many options for sensory bins, this really was a great bang for the buck. One flaw, umbrella is really cheaply made.
Pikler knock off Triangle, Climbing Arch & Slide/climbing toy $95 - we use the triangle in the living room and the arch/slide in the nursery. He climbs on/plays with both daily.
(ETA) Melissa & Doug Clean Up Set - love and hate these! Kiddo loves “using” his broom, mop, dustpan etc. so it’s a win because he’s learning how to clean and getting great gross motor skills out of it, but he also makes messes just to “clean them up” which I know is developmentally normal but drives me bonkers! Also, the poor dog and cat are often victim to flailing broom.
WORST TOYS: - anything with 72 pieces that all end up on the floor
puzzles, he’s just now starting to get into these so I’m glad we have them but we were gifted so many at his 1st birthday and we’re just now getting mild use of them.
anything VTech. I’m an “easily overstimulated by noise” mama and these just drive me BONKERS. We’ve had so many gifted toys of various sorts and he’s gotten short term use of them, but nothing he couldn’t have gained without those awful noises. Also, the irony of the phone brand of my childhood now including phones on all their children’s products is just wild. PS the phones always get lost. Always.
bead maze wooden box toy - has never held his attention and mostly exists for me to trip over, it seems.
Let me hear yours! ETA: Please mention the age of your kiddo so other readers can have a gauge for appropriate toys!