have a hard time because Curtis and I decided that we weren't going to give Lucy a lot of toys, that we wanted to let her learn to be productive with what she has and not be over stimulated... pluuuus.. we are kind of cheap and can't justify droppin' a $124 on a Leap Pad Frog baby Blackberry-laptop-iPhone. So, I am pretty picky with what toys I get for Lucy because, hey, if the poor girl isn't going to get showered in toys, then the ones she gets are going to rock. So here are a couple really fun cheap toys that I have found for several ages..
Cranium's Bloom Shop & MatchBloom Shop & Match (which has one Parents' Choice Award) is a sorting and matching game that takes place at a grocery store. The game has a basket, food, reusable grocery lists, dry-erase marker, spinner, and game board. This game is great because it encourages color recognition, sorting and classifying, object identification, pretend play, teamwork, and turn taking. What is also really nice, is that the pieces are well designed and sturdy, so you know the pieces can handle your toddler throwing/shoving/biting/burying/and toilet flushing. The game has activities in the four categories of discover, perform, create, and connect involving counting, categorization, and color hunting. And wait... here is the best part... it even comes with a little working scanner that you use to purchase and scan your items... how cute is THAT!? This is just a great game to help get your little ones thinking, organizing, color recognition, taking turns, and object identifying. It is great for kids 3 and up and suggested retail is $19.99
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Laugh & Learn-My Learning Tools
My Learning Tools puts Bob The Builder to shaaaame. This cute talking tool bag is filled with songs, tools, and instructions to help teach your child how to open/close, use all the tools, sing a long, numbers, and even about opposites. This Fisher Price toy has three different play modes that aims for encourage, imagination, and musical fun. Great for letting your child learn with the toys or simple play by enjoying the music. And hey, if you have a little girl that wont like playing with a toll bags, then don't worry, because they even have a My Learning Purse it is practically the same thing, just a purse with keys, wallet, lipstick, and a zipper instead of a ruler to figure out. This is good for as young at 6 months to 36 months and the suggested retail is $17.00
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Wok' n RollThis is just a cute game that helps your kids hand-eye coordination, also while helping to teach them colors and organizing. In Wok'n Roll players use plastic chop sticks to grab their colored food and simply place it into the matching bowls. When you child has master that, players can they kick it up a notch and turn the wok on, which then allows it to spin and turn as players try to grab their matching colors. This game has been suggested for 3 and up, 4 and up, or even 5 and up, so you can use your judgment if your child should play with it or not. I don't think it is because of the skills so much, but more if the child will be tempted to swallow the colored pieces. It's suggested retail is $19.99.
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eeBoo's - What Time Is It?
These little tickers are here to help your angles how to tell time. With smiling clock, different levels of difficulty, and moveable hands your children can easily learn how to read a clock and tell time; both digitally and the good ol' fashion way. You can be assured that your child will learn because eeBoo is one of the most respected names in children's educational products. There are so several levels of difficulty; so beginners won’t get frustrated and players with more advanced skills will still be able to feel challenged. Suggested for ages 4 and up and retailed at just $16.00.
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Are there any toys/games out there that you have just loved as a parent or even a certain company that you like?
we too have limited abigail's toys...my husband went through a few months ago and thinned them out even more, we were trying to teach her to put up the toys she had played with and didnt want to overwhelm her with so many. the best toys that she has are babydolls (she plays mommy) and her little mop (hardware store $3) and her little pots and pans kitchen, anything that she can pretend to be doing real life activities...trying to promote reality and liking it instead of fantasy.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I am a huge book lover so I would have to say the Usborne books are my fave.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're more successful at limiting the toys than I was. I too said that I was going to limit toys for my kids. It's easier said than done. I don't buy our kids alot of toys, but as they get older, they just accumulate more things and then you have to love those grandparents who go overboard! Then, when you add child number 2, well, then toys seem to start multiplying in your sleep! One of my FAVORITE toys when Gage was a little guy was the Fisher Price crib toy that hooks onto the rail and has a mirror and plays symphony music when they would spin the tube filled with tiny little balls. (I don't even know what it is called or if they even make it anymore?) When he would wake up in his crib he would spin the thing, get music to play and then go back to sleep! It was awesome! :-)
ReplyDeleteWe started out resolute to not buy a lot of toys for our little ones… but we failed to recruite grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. That and the fact that I’m the youngest and is the recipient of many hand-me-downs hasn’t helped. But on the upside. We taught our children about giving toys away to those who don’t have as many. Before each birthday and Christmas we take a day and go through the toys together and give away quite a few they don’t play with anymore, or are willing to give up to those who don’t have as many.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a great way to teach. Granted, we’re still reteaching every birhtday and Christmas at this point, but all the better for teaching us how to teach our little ones.
I'm another Mom who fell victim to the overindulgence of grandparents to their grandchildren. We now have more toys than we know what to do with and even sold more than half in a garage sale a week or so ago!
ReplyDeleteThat said, we do have that tool bag and both boys love it, along with a lot of outdoor toys. (We've been trying to encourage going outside to play more instead of being techno-gadget-crazed, like me. lol)
Had everyone get Cameron a Meijer gift card for his birthday and took that and got him a playhouse for the yard. It's called Cozy Cottage and has a mailbox, a telephone, and a little kitchen sink. Again, both boys LOVE it and they ask to go outside and play a LOT since we got it.
If something comes in a big box, it's a hit. The toy might be put aside, at least for the time being, but the box is sure to keep them occupied for hours!
ReplyDeleteBoxes are big hits here too even know at 4. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check these out!
ReplyDeleteYea... I will admit that our toy limitation has not been as well as I hoped because yes... it does accumulate.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was a year and a half a few Christmases ago my family wanted to know what to get for him. I decided to be honest, and I told them that his favorite toys were remote controls, pieces of crinkly paper, the straps on the diaper bag, empty boxes, and shoelaces!
ReplyDeleteHe is four now, and his favorite inexpensive things are a set of blocks that my brother (an architect) and his wife (an artist) made for him out of 2x4s they cut down and sanded, and another winner from them- a giant roll of white butcher paper and finger paints.
I am very stingy about toys for my kids- maybe too stingy! I try to mainly spend money on things that I know will last and can be passed down (like my son's train set that he ADORES) that they can use in multiple ways and help them to think for themselves and be creative. And I am also a huge proponent of playing in the dirt. :-)
My favorite toy is our bag of Mega Bloks. My baby loves to bang them together, my 2-year-old builds huge towers and my 4-year-old recently figured out how to make a giraffe. :o) I'm all about toys that let the child steer the direction of play instead of the other way around.
ReplyDeletethose look great!!
ReplyDeleteAll of those toys DO rock! Annoying for me that none of them are here in the land of Aus - well, at least not in my part of Australia anyway.
ReplyDeleteThose are great ones!
ReplyDeleteWe are currently into Zingo by Discovery Kids.
My four year old loves it.
And the rest of us are enjoying it too.
It is a twist on bingo....but educational.
Check it out.
Digital Memory sure is becoming cheaper these days. I'm curious as to when we will eventually reach the ratio of 1 cent to 1 Gig.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for the day when I will finally be able to afford a 20 terabyte hard disk, hahaha. But for now I will be happy with having a 32 gig Micro SD Card in my R4i.
(Submitted on Nintendo DS running [url=http://kwstar88.zoomshare.com/2.shtml]R4i[/url] W3B)