The test of time

By Chris

Having seven children means that I have bought most of the inventory at our local toy store. In the warmer months it often looks like Little Tykes threw up in my backyard. And in the colder months I often think that I should determine my toy purchases based on how the toys will look strewn about the floor of my home. Shopping for birthdays and Christmas is a daunting task.

Every year there is the "hot toy" that every child wants, yet I know that months, or sometimes even days, after Christmas many of them will be cast aside in favor of the old stand-bys. Tickle-Me Elmo was a a hot toy one year, but we no longer have him. Sadly, at some point, he stopped being ticklish and went to the great landfill in the sky. The same happened to the robot room guard, who only lasted a day or two before being tossed into the back of the closet out of frustration.

I have become increasingly particular about the toys I bring into by home. The sheer volume of toys is overwhelming under the best of circumstances. I have compiled a list of kid-tested, mother-approved toys:

• Wooden blocks, the specialty blocks like castle blocks add a fun twist. I bought a huge set of blocks from a company that caters to preschools and daycare centers. They are played with every single day.
• Duplos and Legos
• Brio and Thomas train sets
• Pretend play -- kitchens, small scale brooms, pretend food -- toys that allow them to imitate the world around them
• Play-doh, but not the sets -- those seem to cause more frustration than anything else, they prefer to use real cookie cutters, small scale rolling pins, and plastic utensils
• A relatively new item that has been getting lots of play time in the past few years with my 4-6-year-olds is the Imaginext playsets. They do require some adult help to set up, but they engage the imagination of the children and hold my interest enough not to make me want to gouge my eyeballs out.

These toys are the old standbys for a reason. They stand the test of time.

Although, my children can also entertain themselves with a hole puncher, a few sheets of paper, and a roll of tape for an entire afternoon.

Chris is a writer, artist, wife to one, and mother to seven children. In her free time she works at rescuing her historic New England house from a century of neglect.

Comments

[Jo]

Most of my friends with 5 or more kids have that same list of toys that are always a good buy. I'm thinking you mamas are so much more organized than the rest of us and I for one listen wholeheartedly to any advice my friends with bunches give when it comes to clothes, toys, and activities. ;)

[naomi]

I remember Christmas about 16 years ago when my little cousin was about 20 months old. She had just come back with her family from the States to live in Melbourne, Australia, and on Christmas morning she was bombarded (and I MEAN bombarded) with gift after gift of Fisher Price toys bought on sale in the US(much much cheaper than over here). Less then half an hour later she was out in the front yard with her Dad, who was trying out his latest garden gadget. She had a piece of bark in one hand and a leaf in the other, kicking at the dirt with her heals, and LOVING it! This play lasted a good hour, before she was cleaned up and tucked into bed. The toys were put on the shelf and were sold at a garage sale five years later in their still new condition. Ahh! The simple things in life are often the best...

[Cityslicker mom]

I recently bought my boys legos, but I had to stop and think long and hard about whether I really wanted to be constantly cleaning up little pieces all the time, getting them caught in the vacuum cleaner, etc. I ended up buying them but I did stop and think about for a long time. Oh, what the heck.

[Cityslicker mom]

I recently bought my boys legos, but I had to stop and think long and hard about whether I really wanted to be constantly cleaning up little pieces all the time, getting them caught in the vacuum cleaner, etc. I ended up buying them but I did stop and think about for a long time. Oh, what the heck.

[blair]

Fluff?
I consider it absolutely priority information, irrespective of how many children bless the home!
Thank you, best gift guide ever!

[allison]

I love this list. It really is mostly what we live by. We only have 3 children (only?!), but it astounds me that stuff piles so quickly. I have watched them. I know what they play with over and over, and what gets tossed aside. Besides what this list includes, books, books, books, and art supplies. Also, for those struggling with Cmas gifts, we do (based on our faith) 3 gifts per child, one "main" and two "smaller", as the baby Jesus had 3 gifts. They buy it, and it saves some difficulty, and eases the budget. And helps us not go gluttonous when we're also supposed to remember the meaning of the season.

[Kris]

You know, I bought those castle blocks and my husband made me return them. All we have are the large wooden ones and I thought they'd go together nicely. Hmmph. Serves me right for listening to him!

Chris, can you give me some advice? I posted about some gift struggling with on my blog today. I've got No. 1 figured out (no more rescue heroes) but still scratching my head on No. 2 and No. 3. Usually I'd go with Imaginext but I'm not sure about the new dinosaur line. :)

[Katie]

It's amazing how fast all the toys add up. 5 presents per child doesn't sound like a lot but in our house, that's 25 new toys to find a place for.

My kids are exactly like yours, they'll play with tape, crayons, and paper for hours.

[Suzanne]

What a great list. 7 children? How do you do it? I give you tonnes of credit. What did you ask for for Christmas? Hopefully a day at the spa or something like that :)