I'm trying my best to keep toys to a minimum, but I do see value in having a moderate amount of really good toys that hold educational or developmental value while sustaining my child's attention. So, I'm looking for a couple more to add to my son's (who, btw, LOVES anything animal, car, or train related) collection.
Please, ladies, give me some suggestions of your all-time favorite toy(s) for this toddler stage that both you and child enjoy
Re: What is THE best toy your toddler has?
Right now, DS is pretty obsessed with his MegaBlocks. He's so proud of himself when he puts them together. It's really cute! But, what's not cute is him slinging them all over the place - so there is that to consider!
He also has a couple of different farm animals toys that he loves - a Little People Farm set and a small plush barn that comes with 4 little plush animals that make noise (I think my mom found that at Buy Buy Baby).
I say this everytime. Thomas wooden railway. It's his absolute favorite and he plays with it for hours. He loves his trains (sleeps with Thomas) and likes taking apart and helping us put together the track. He's named his trains, some keep their original names, most don't. It's cute.
His next favorite are his tonka trucks. He pushes them all over and has a system down with them.
Plastic kitchenware. Seriously, all the toys in her room go unused, but give this child a couple funnels and a spoon and she'll sit for hours. She's got a dedicated stash in our kitchen.
Besides that, the only actual toy dd loves right now is her megablocks.
Our 14 month old loves the shopping cart, a push train (Winnie the Pooh from Target), a tent we got from Ikea, the Little Tikes Grill (with pretend food), and Legos Duplo. All the other toys including the Little People toys go unused. My 3 yr old also loves all of the above.
Water/Sand Table
Toy kitchen with play food
Lego Duplo sets (especially cars)
Playmobil sets (especially vehicles of any kind - we take away tiny pieces)
DH found a Melissa & Doug activity cart that has been AMAZING for DD (13 months). https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1171405/melissa-doug-activity-cart.jsp
Technically, it says for ages 3+, but we just didn't unwrap the individual blocks or the chalk box. It is all wooden (which is so much better, IMO, than flashy annoying electronic toys) and has wheels on the bottom and is the perfect height for her to play at. It has a magnetic chalk board on one side, an abacus on another, shape sorters on another, and drawers on the 4th side. It has wooden tools and shapes, wooden blocks on the top tray for older kids to play with, and magnetic animals that DD loves to play with. Plus, she loves pushing her little cart around - she'll play with it for an hour by herself. It's great!!
She also loves her baby doll that her aunt got her and the assorted sports balls that we have at the house.
Between those and her books, she is set!
DS chose a Duplo set to give DD for her first birthday. Both kids love playing with those, and now DS keeps asking for his own Duplo sets (mostly Cars sets), even though he is nearly 4 and also has regular Legos. Just thought I'd chime in about Duplo since they seem to be appealing for a wide age range.
They also both love books, balls, and cars.
This and also Tupperware with lids, measuring cups, spoons, spatulas, and boxes. Basically non toy items.
I was trying to be a minimalist but people keep giving us hand-me-downs and my kid loves toys. I seem to be in the small minority where most of what we have is used quite a bit, especially the annoying plastic things I said I'd never have in my living room. His favorites:
Any Ball of any Shape or Size
3 Tiered Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker - Gets me a long shower anytime I want one
Mega Blocks - Especially the large car base
Green Toys Fire Truck
Battat Pull Back Cars
Regular Crayons 24 Pack - He scribbles a tiny bit but mostly takes them in and out.
Bins of Books - not into reading yet but loves moving them around
Fisher Price Piggy Bank
Fisher Price Doorway - huge and horrible but a favorite
Baby Einstein Bach Musical Chimes, Drums, Harmonica, Music Toys.
We don't have a play kitchen but he'll play with his cousins for hours at a time. I am working on making him one for Christmas. I think that would be his #1 if we had one.
Books - we have a lot of books with simple basic words that our DD loves to flip through and "read". We read them together but she is constantly flipping through them by herself and recognizing the words and saying them. It's awesome to watch.
Musical Toys - we have a M&D piano and a xylophone and a version of one of those band in a drum sets and a bunch of miscellaneous others.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Step2-Canyon-Road-Table-Lid/4837473 (Ships for $5 and is super easy to assemble)
DS is 21 months old and his play is still very sporadic and disorderly, in case you need a point of reference.
DS: 11/8/11 | 9 lb 7 oz, 22 in
DD: 5/22/14 | 9 lb 9 oz, 21.5 in
I have found that any type of 'play' be it with a toy, dog, or household object fosters our LO to invent, create, daydream and learn! So I have not felt too much pressure to buy or collect a bunch of toys.
That said my 23 month DS loves:
-Music! guitars, microphones, dancing
-slides
-basketball hoop
-bikes or anything he can ride on/in ( we have a sweet electric car which I have used to teach 'Stop', 'Go' and other confounds
-swimming! ( I swear by this! I have used the dive rings to teach blowing bubbles under water, colors, counting, and clean up)
- play kitchen ( I got ours at Ikea for 15$! all of their food is not plastic and can be washed!)
Ohh!! Melissa and Doug makes really cute felt food which I have had fun teaching DS "pretend" with.
- shopping cart! https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/shopping-cart/?pkey=dkitchens&
- puzzles; the first words, animals, numbers, trucks, sounds, etc books
- "little guys"! A sesame street toy came with a bunch of minature characters! I just found a set of 30 disney characters for 19.99$ at Homegoods!
- Play vacuum https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/silver-dyson-play-vacuum/?pkey=dkitchens&
- drum set
-bubbles
-fridge magnets
- CLIMBING stations! and big blocks!
-ballapalooza! https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Cruise-and-Groove-Ballapalooza/dp/B007J3FAJ2/ref=sr_1_84?ie=UTF8&qid=1377557077&sr=8-84&keywords=toddler+toys
Okay, I will stop! I swear we do not have a lot of toys! But what we do have DS loves, and I see him growing and learning every day! I admit, I learn a lot too!