Tuesday, June 17, 2008
big boy toys?
ok everyone. we need help! quentin's 1st birthday is approaching so family members etc. have been asking us what he "wants" for his birthday. it was easy when he was just a little guy but it's a lot harder now! he likes toys, that much i know. all his current toys are infant toys and it's getting to the point where many can go into retirement (exersaucer, jumperoo, etc.) what do big kids play with? i know lots of you have toddlers - what do they like? what couldn't you live without? are there good "educational" toys for this age group?
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6 comments:
Lilly likes blocks -- especially blocks that come in a bucket. Apparently take blocks out of a bucket is completely awesome.
Yes, buckets are excellent. Really anything you can carry stuff in - Little Man has a golf bag that rolls and he likes walking around the house with that. A ride-on toy is good, but a ride-on toy that can be PUSHED is very good. They love pushing things. Balls and balloons are most excellent. I think a toddler-sized chair would be a hit. Little Man likes our low sand chairs 'cause they're his size. We got LM a teepee which he is amused by now (it's VERY funny to look at us from inside the teepee) and he'll grow into using it for several years.
PS - if you don't want things with batteries, tell them now. Looking around my house you'd think that I LOVE plastic stuff with batteries! I've never bought anything involving batteries, and yet it just happens.
Oh, and right around 1 is when cars and things that roll become cool.
The Leapfrog alphabet magnets are the best! I could live without the singing part (and you can always put that away) but the letters are something Benji has loved since he was just over a year old. They're bigger than the old fashioned letter magnets and don't have an exposed magnet that could fall out so they're much safer. And their size and shape makes them really easy to grip. There's also a lower case expansion pack that's a bit harder to find but worth it because then you can teach lower case letters but you also then have two of each letter and can spell more words.
I would also recommend Legos. Depending on how much he puts things in his mouth he may need Quattro (enormous Legos) or Duplos (I like these better, but they do have more eating potential). I also think art supplies are great, especially finger paints. Books are a perennial favorite. Some of Benji's favorites, starting from when he was quite little and continuing now that he reads them to me, include Sandra Boynton books, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and anything with lift-the-flaps.
I recommend "baby signing time" dvds. That is how we and Eva learned most of her/our sign language. It has been extremely helpful for communication in our household and makes for a happier baby. When she is hungry, she just gives us the sign for eat, or milk, or cracker, or juice, or what ever she is in the mood for. The DVDs are not exactly "toys" but E loves watching them and has learned sooooo much.
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