I was recently talking to a friend about how many toys have passed through my house.
Some of them were ones that my kids begged for, got, and then played with once.
Some of them were things that they begged for and play with every single day.
Some were things I chose, or they got as a gift.
Some things they love and I hate.
But there are a few things that we can agree on as top toys.
(And since I’m shopping for Christmas already, I thought some of you may be, too.
I’m hoping that by giving you ideas, you’ll share your ideas with me!)
For the Tiniest Tot
- Leapfrog Learning Table – Lots of toys all in one spot. When the big kids were little, they used this more than any other toy.
(I will say that some of the little songs get annoying after you hear them 100+ times a day.)
(They no longer make the one we have, but this one is the newer version.)
- Activity Cube(like you might see in a doctor’s office waiting room) – They no longer make the one we have, but Amazon has a lot of similar choices.
For the Little Man
- Wooden Race Track – Nothing fancy. No batteries. Only a few pieces. Win-win!
This is the one we have. But this one looks infinitely cooler(pictured below).
- Wooden blocks – Plain. Simple. Perfect.
For the Girl Child
- Strawberry Shortcake Playsets – She has the Splash-and-Petal Pool, the Remote Control Car, and Picnic in the Petals.
- Anything crafty – The girl loves a craft…especially anything that sparkles.
For the Big Boy
- Perplexus Maze Ball – He spent hours working on this thing. So did my dad. And so did I.
- Hot Wheels Track Attack for Wii – We don’t actually own this yet. But we’ve rented it a few times and we have all really enjoyed it. It’s easy enough for the kids to play without adult assistance, but fun enough that adults want to play. (You can even make your own race track! That’s fun!)
Although I listed these toys as his/hers, I would like to note that the big kids play fairly equally with all their toys.
For the fam
Despite Marshall’s lack of enthusiasm for board games, the kids and I love them.
(And since he’s a good sport, plays along with us.)
Beyond the typical kid favorites (Candyland, Guess Who?, etc.), we each have games that we prefer:
Lydia: Disney Rummikub – This is a kid version of a grown up game. A lot of fun once they get the concept.
Carter: The Dinosaur Game – He LOVES this game. I think it’s meh.
Me: Bananagrams – This one is too hard for Lydia, but Carter’s getting the hang of it.
What are some of your kid’s favorite toys?
(FYI: All of these are affiliate links.)
