Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I thought that parents might share their ideas for good quality toys for children here.
Like most kids, mine have enough crap. We literally don't need another thing in this house, and if I am going to buy them anything else it should be something quality and of some value, educational or entertainment wise.
For toys, I love Playmobil (kids 3-6 maybe)
For dolls, I love Corolle girls (3-7 maybe)
My daughter also lilkes groovy girls, and she's only got a couple so I'll probably pick up another one this year.
I don't know how the tinker toys will be now (i think they are partially plastic), but I just bought a pink set for my DD. There never seems to be building toys geared towards girls so we'll see how this is.
here is a nice coloring book (or a set rather) of Kaleidoscope type pages that the kids color in:
Colorado Color Pattern Puzzle (http://www.hearthsong.com/hearthsong/product.do?sc=1005&bc=1005&pgc=171 - broken link)
Tangrams are fun for kids too. Highlights had a great set that I ordered a couple years ago for my son but I don't see it there anymore.
Does anyone have any other good ideas for toys/gifts for the holidays? I mean, toys that are worth buying and are not going to be broke 15 minutes after you open them, or not do what they advertise, causing disappointment. Can you put the ages that the toys are for?
I just saw this globe from V-tech, it seems educational; you press a button and thereby this mechanism will move above the globe untill you stop, then it´ll say aloud the name of the country and perhaps also the city. Don´t remember f it also gave additional info. I´ve seen it in Denmark, but the boy´s mum is from NYC; must be from US since I can´t find it in Denmark but will definitely find it over christmas holidays in NYC.
Good luck.
We have a 3yr old & Christmas baby who is turning 1...that will forever be an interesting challenge seeing that his bday is the day after CMas...
Anyway, we really enjoy Little People by Fischer Price along with Imaginext by Fischer Price. My 3yr old has played with the same farm set for 2 years along with the other additions to the collection. Decent quality & price.
We stay away from most of the computerized things at this time.
I second a previous poster's post regarding Imaginext. My son has played with their castle for over 2 years, almost everyday. He most recently received their Superfriends Batcave and loves imaginary play with that.
Also, a game that my older boy, age 6, really enjoys is Mancala. It's an old African game played on a wooden board with marbles. You can find it at Target and any educational store.
In the past, we've done some Hearthsong stuff... pricey but good quality. Rainbow Resource has some good stuff too. We also buy into the plastic crap as well... that's what the kids see on TV and want, kwim?
Does anyone have any other good ideas for toys/gifts for the holidays? I mean, toys that are worth buying and are not going to be broke 15 minutes after you open them, or not do what they advertise, causing disappointment. Can you put the ages that the toys are for?
The Quadrilla Marble Run is great for kids of both genders (ages 4 and up). It's pricey, but a good quality toy (not plastic) and you can add-on pieces later. My kids love it!
Recently our youngest (8) is totally into origami. We bought him a Christmas Origami book (shows you how to make an origami santa,, reindeer, snowman, etc.) and more origami papers. Our oldest is a reader... loves to read and goes through books like crazy. So we are simply giving him money for more books.
Also, musical instruments are always a good gift for young children, and then get them set up with lessons so they can learn more about their new instrument as well as develop a new skill. At first they might not be into it but once they learn more they might begin to love it. If anything the exposure to a new instrument and the addition of more music into their lives will certainly be a positive thing. The important thing is the exposure and the trying a new thing. So many parents get wrapped up in the "sticking with it". Later on it's important for older children to finish the things they start, and to "stick with it"... but earlier on trying it out and learning and experimenting and just the exposure to something new is so much more important at those younger ages. Encourage exploration and tasting what life has to offer...
We like to make homemade playdough and give it to the kids for Christmas. Even though they are older now (8 and 13) it's sort of a tradition now that they book look for and get excited about. I make a "kit" and add the different colored dough, some made with glitter, too, and then a couple of new cookie cutters and fun tools to use with the dough. A few times I've added Mr. Potato head things (found in a large bag of stuff from the thrift store) and they used those eyes and noses and things to make dough blob creatures. Anyway.. that's fun.
Also my kids also love getting edible gifts. It may seem weird, because so many of us are used to the store-bought plastic toy and crap culture, but my guys each have a few favorite things that they like, and so for Christmas I'll make them their favorite things, package it up and wrap it. Things like cookies, brownies, etc. One year I made a gingerbread house kit. I made all the gingerbread pieces for the house ahead of time, then added to the kit the icing and candies. We had fun with that. They also love quick breads and homemade chocolates and things. Some go into stockings and some are wrapped, depending on what it is.
Also, every year our kids get comfy flannel PJ's and new flannel sheets for their beds. They also get house slippers. We donate the old ones.
Christmas books and films and music are also an every year gift. Each year we add to our growing collection of holiday storybooks and cookbooks, films, and music collections. Audio books are wonderful, too... you can listen to them while you bake cookies or put together that gingerbread house the day after christmas.
We have a tradition of making each other tree ornaments for Christmas. We help the kids make them for each other and so on... so every year our homemade ornament collection grows as well. It's so much fun unpacking the ornaments each year - the day after Thanksgiving.
We try to make Christmas less about the gifts, and more about the giving and the celebrating of the season and the sharing time and space with the ones who are most important to us.
Location: In my own little corner... sittin' in Jax FL
589 posts, read 1,635,303 times
Reputation: 331
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaneinNYC
Hi
I just saw this globe from V-tech, it seems educational; you press a button and thereby this mechanism will move above the globe untill you stop, then it´ll say aloud the name of the country and perhaps also the city. Don´t remember f it also gave additional info. I´ve seen it in Denmark, but the boy´s mum is from NYC; must be from US since I can´t find it in Denmark but will definitely find it over christmas holidays in NYC.
Good luck.
We have it. Not worth it IMO. It does give good info but my girls didn't really care for it. And they love to learn things!
Location: In my own little corner... sittin' in Jax FL
589 posts, read 1,635,303 times
Reputation: 331
This is from a seminar I attended recently. The presenter is a long time Director of a wonderful preschool with an Masters in Education and studies childhood brain development. I think the principles in the document are really good for choosing toys for children that will last and grow with your child.
So many times the toys we buy that they really want are "done" within a few hours, days, or weeks. They tire of them as the hit the limitations of the toys.
I hope it helps all of us to make great choices in what we give our children!
SEVEN KINDS OF TOYS FOR HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN
The market is flooded with wonderful and not so wonderful toys. children do not need to have every toy they see. In fact, too many toys are very confusing to children. The most important attribute of a toy is to bring out the creativity and the natural curiosity inside the child. Parents are the facilitators of learning - and - children learn most through their play. Below are listed the seven basic kinds of toys for highly successful children.
UNIT BLOCKS
Blocks are classic playthings that never seem to go out of style or lose their appeal. From a baby's first fist-sized cube to a sophisticated building system for the older child, blocks of all sorts provide satisfying constructive play while helping build essential skills.
MANIPULATIVES (Table toys)
This includes puzzles, sea shells, rocks, legos, pegs and peg boards, leaves, stringing wooden beads, sewing cards, etc. Patterning, matching seriating, sorting, sequencing, and classifying can all be learned by children playing with table toys.
ART
Items for at may include - among other things - sand and water, paper, paints, pencils, craons, clay, play dough, chalk, yarn, straws, paste, markers, tempera, brushes, scissors, ribbons, spools, cotton balls, pine cones, feathers, driftwood, pebbles and wood scraps. Cooking is an art too!
BOOKS, NURSERY RHYMES, POETRY
Books are the best resource since the hug for building Brain Power for kids. And, stimulating a child isn't something you can put off until the school bell rings or wait for parents to find time. Books and storytelling help children understand that their fears, questions, and problems are not unique to them. Acquiring a love for books is one of the most powerful incentives for children to become readers.
DRAMA and PRETEND
Children rarely tire of "playing house" or doctor, nurse or firefighter. Dress-up clothes, hats, ties, shoes and accessories or a sheet draped over a table to make a fort or a tent for "camping out" are some of the items that facilitate make-believe and imitative role-play.
MUSIC and MOVEMENT
Music can be the spark that ignites all areas of development - intellect, social, emotional, motor, language and overall literacy. In fact, music is a great organizer that helps the body and mind work together. Also, music and song introduce children to the sounds and meanings of words and helps strengthen memory sckills. Children, ages 4 - 8, enjoy making instruments. To them, beans in a sealed plastic cup makes a shaker, an oatmeal box becomes a drum, blocks can be for clapping together and dowel sticks for tapping out a rhythm.
DISCOVERY and SCIENCE
Young children are cuirous about and extremely sensitive to their environment. They instinctively smell, taste, feel and listen to things around them. They take apart and attempt to put together again, push and pull, and ask "Why?" "What?" "When?" "Where?" Some of the tools for discovery are: magnifying glass, scales for weighing, cardboard tubes for looking through, thermometer, measuring cup, compass, pendulum, sand and water. Anyone who is curious, anyone who wonders about our world may qualify as a scientist. Much of the discovery and scientific toys are provided by nature. Leaves, rocks, twigs, bark, shells and the like are wonderful for collecting and classifying. Sharing the miracle of tadpoles, butterflies, ants, beetles, ladybugs and growing things are more of nature's gifts to chidlren and adults.
Outdoor play is fun for all children and important for gross motor development. Opportunities to ride and steer a tricycle, run, skip, jump, balance, climb, hop, throw, catch, and use "outside" voices give children a healthy release. It's also a good time to socialize, share, take turn,s create, dream, imagine, stretch muscles, breathe in fresh air, take in the sunshine and enjoy the out-of doors sights and sounds.
(Ginger I. Lee, M.Ed)
My kids (3 and 1-1/2) don't seem to tire of building blocks (the wooden blocks, Lincoln logs, legos, etc.), Little People, and Mr. Potato Head. Books are well-loved in this house. Paint, coloring books, and Play-dough are huge hits, too. I also recall as a kid that I spent numerous hours playing with those matchbox cars and marbles. Oh, and toy soldiers!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
