The List: The Fickle World of Toys

Toys that Seemed Like a Good Idea {But Weren't}

1. Moon Sand. Contrary to the description on the package; this is basically colored sand and nothing like clay or play-doh; I don't need colored sand in my house.
2. Card Games. For some children of certain ages, this is probably a great idea, but for two active, young boys, a card game simply ends in a mess of cards scattered all over the table and floor and 4 disgruntled participants.
3. Anything not made of the strongest materials on the market. IT WILL break within 24 hours if bought at the dollar store, in the dollar area or just generally cheaply made.
4. Kid Camera. For the price, you might as well just buy a cheap real digital camera that will actually work.
5. Toy Laptop. They use it to pretend sometimes, but it has never taken the place of one of our real laptops or smartphones.

Toys I Wasn't Sure Were a Good Idea {But Were}

1. Any and Every Costume. They love to get dressed up and play. While I have never paid much for Halloween costumes, we definitely get our money's worth and more from them.
2. Large Cardboard Bricks. At first I thought they were a mistake, but with time the bricks have been used to build structures for the Cars vehicles and Toy Story characters, walls for their "Café" that includes their play kitchen and obstacles to be knocked down.
3. Anything from the Imaginext Line. These toys are large, but inspire creative play. The space shuttle and launch pad, bat cave and airplane carrier and more have been involved in many missions, involving super heroes, cars, animals and more; and what's more, they're sturdy.

Toys that Have Stood the Test of Time

1. Stuffed Animals. Whether being cuddled or caught or re-enacting a Disney movie, the boys' giant pile of stuffed animals remains.
2. Books. A favorite book is a favorite book, no matter how much time has passed.
3. Sports Equipment. Balls, bats, racquets and more have been played with from the time that Darling 1 was a tiny tot and continue to get lots of action.
4. Any kind of connecting blocks. Legos and Duplo Mega Blocks have always been a favorite too. And as the boys grow, they grow into the smaller and more complicated Legos, but still use and incorporate the larger pieces too.

Most toys come {and break} and go, but a few stick around. My mother-in-law still has a number of toys from when her 30 something boys were youngsters that her grandkids now enjoy just as much. Choosing which toys will stand the test of time and be worth your hard earned money is much harder than it appears.

Which toys have stood the test of time in your home? Over and out...

Anna

Comments

[Sally]

Anna,
I also have toys from my two grown up kids,es.ones that are made from Fisher Price.I have a toy closet that my grandkids go to the moment they step into the house,and now JP goes there,also.I have a circus train,like your mother-in-law has, that they all play with,no matter how old the child.Lindsay and John have old toys in JP's room that they played with as children.I gave most of the Fisher Price to JP for his room.