15 of my best toy picks

by Daniel Wildman

Taking part in Works for Me Wednesday!

A lot of toys have come through this house along with 4 kids in 8 years; a lot of toys have gone out too. We have moved 6 times since becoming parents and I refuse to move anything that isn’t worth its weight in gold. Good thing the children have measured up so far.

The best toys (and consequently, the keepers) are ones that:

• can be put together, taken apart and then put back together again (preferably in a new way)
• have some sort of educational value
• will hold a child’s interest long-term
• can handle whatever a toddler can throw at it (or throw it at)

Here are some toys we have in our toy collection and a few I wish we had:

1. Marble Runs – this toy is just plain cool and fun for everyone, adults included
   
2. Blocks – wooden ones for stacking & building and large cardboard ones for things like life-size forts (if you’re little )
3. Lincoln Logs – there are all kinds of cool things to build with Lincoln Logs
   
4. K’NEX – again, hours of enjoyment come from K’NEX
   
5. Playmobil – we don’t have any Playmobil, but loved by many
6. Legos – what can be said about the world-famous Legos?
7. Train sets – like Brio and Thomas the Tank Engine; I got a full set of Thomas tracks, engines, cars (and a table!) for $20 at a garage sale; it was the best money I ever spent (check craigslist too!)
   
8. Play kitchens – in our house, the play kitchen is optional but the pots, pans and utensils are a must
9. Cash register -  this is one we don’t have ourselves, but will be on our wish list this Christmas
10. Playmats – very fun and easy to tote too; one day I’m going to make one like this
    
11. Dollhouses – like this wooden one
12. Dress up – fill a box or chest with thrift-store finds, old halloween costumes and castoffs from Great Aunt Millie’s closet
13. Craft collection – I keep bins of stickers, scrapbook paper, construction paper, pipe cleaners, glue, scissors, clay, crayons, markers, colored pencils, punches, googly eyes, tape, paints, stamps, ribbon, beads, fabric, felt, and anything else that has crafty potential; oh yeah, check your recycling bin first
14. Board games – we like Boggle, Scrabble, Memory, Dominoes, Apples to Apples, Guess Who?, Yahtzee, Sequence, Uno, Cranium Cadoo, Cranium Hullabaloo; (keep in mind that many of these games have editions for kids)
    
15. Books – They may not be toys, but they provide just as much enjoyment.  Here are some of our favorite picture books:

Related posts:

1. How to keep kids occupied when out and about
2. Overheard at our house