Substitute for Mr. Potato Head

[babeak]

Okay, I guess I succumbed to Mr. Potato Head because I loved it as a kid. However, even though it was a garage sale find, I still regretted the purchase. I could not stand looking at that toy. I got rid of it, but I feel like I would like to replace it with something even better for DD who still played with that quite a bit, but really only when the babysitter was here.

I would like something doll-ish/changing accessories or something like that. Please help. I have really gotten rid of lots of her toys this week and I wouldlike to have a plan for her not to miss too much, especially for whatever she got from playing with it.

[BCFD]

I just chuckled when I read your post.  I really, really tried to stick to Waldorf type toys when my kids were younger, but then I remembered how much I loved some of the plastic toys as a kid, i.e. Mr. Potato Head, Little People, etc.  I went nuts on the vintage Fisher Price toys, but we haven't purchased toys in awhile and I have put away a lot of the FP toys.

How about these?

http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2009/08/smooshies.html

http://mamasaidshop.typepad.com/mamasaid/2007/08/fantanimals.html

http://www.babygadget.net/2009/01/the_labbit_by_frank_kozic.php

[babeak]

BCFD,

Thanks for the ideas.  I am thinking that I just need to get over it.  She is not missing it.  I am just thinking that I just got rid of one really silly toy and replaced them with more serious toys.  I was reading how Mr. Potato head lets them be silly.  I am not sure how she was playing with it really because I was not really there most of the time.  I just found some of the colors to be so obnoxious.  Then again, perhaps part of it is accepting that she is now 3 as of the end of Oct.  It is hard transitioning and accepting that she is growing up so fast.

So I don't know if I am really searching for something that she can be silly with or something to dress up or making people that stand up, or what exactly.  She has a Waldorf doll that she rarely plays with and will change its clothes, but it is still difficult to do.  She has a serious academic mind and has lots of desires to do and learn about academic things.  Seriously, I am not pushing her into this direction at all, but rather follow her lead.

So, may I should amend this request to take something silly, change clothes, etc.  I thought about paper dolls, because I loved those too, but have not found too much in the way of silly....and she is 3.

[dogretro]

I was thinking that a great idea would be like that link to the Smooshies & you could make it yourself!  You could sew your own Mr. Potato Head!!!  OMG, sorry, that idea actually excited me for real & I think I am going to have to do this myself!

ANYWAY, sew a big ole' potato out of felt (complete w/ bumps & eyes).  Then you can cut out the accessories from other pieces of felt.  Felt sticks to itself, so you could stop there.  Or you could sew velcro dots onto your potato and sew stuffed accessories to make it all fancier.  My older daughter is also v academically inclined, so I understand that.  I see absolutely nothing wrong w/ toys being silly.  Hello, they are TOYS.

[stik]

My 3yo adores her Mister Potato Head.  It's a great toy for fine motor skills, developing a sense of humor (which, in early childhood, often involves doing things the "wrong" way or putting things in the "wrong" place), and open-ended pretend play. 

There are all kinds of things you can come up with to replace it. 

It seems like you're having a really strong reaction to Mr. P (and maybe to some of your dd's other toys?  You mentioned getting rid of a lot of them lately) It might be a good idea to spend a little introspective time working on what is driving this.  A three-year-old is actually not really growing up so fast.  They aren't completely helpless babies anymore, but they really can't be described as mature or grown-up at that age.  Their fine motor skills are limited.  Their communication and self-care skills are still very much under development.  Emotional lability and intolerance of even mild frustration are common, even for three-year-olds who have academic skills or interests that are advanced for their age.  They still have their baby teeth.  Their arms are too short to reach over their heads and touch the ear on the opposite side.  Taking away toys will not make your dd grow up more slowly. 

Waldorf dolls are lovely, but what I've seen sold as a Waldorf doll in the past decade is actually VERY different from what Rudolf Steiner recommended as a doll for a three-year-old.  Steiner's idea of a doll for a young child was basically a knotted hanky with some dots drawn on in ink for eyes.  The dolls we call "Waldorf Dolls" are what Steiner would have called "pretty dolls" - they're lovely, but their clear physical features create an identity for the doll that, Steiner claimed, limits imaginative play.  And they are difficult to dress and undress.  I made one for my older dd when she was 4, and the most use it ever got was as a projectile.

I would never argue that a child needs Mr. Potato Head or any other specific toy.  I strongly feel, though, that you need to examine the purpose of purging your child's toys and make sure that you do it in a way that is respectful to the child's interests, affection for her possessions, and developmental stages. 

[lilangelmelanie]

We have some Melissa & Doug magnetic dress up dolls that we LOVE LOVE LOVE. My daughter got them when she was 4, but I think they are simple and easy enough a 3 yr old could have a lot of fun with them!  They are just a flat wooden doll and the pieces stick to her because they are magnetic and she has a stand she you can make her stand up.

The ages on the toy say 3 and up.

http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Maggie-Magnetic-Dress-Up/dp/B000F9IV8Y

[lalaland42]

I don't think you should take a toy away from a child that is still played with or enjoyed without their consent. Their belongings, their choice. 

[kathteach]

In the old days before the plastic mr. potato, families used real potatoes and gave their kids pushpins and buttons etc for eyes and stuff.  Maybe that appeals to you? Just wanted to put that out there.

[nosce]

http://www.amazon.com/Plan-Toys-0515100-PlanToys-Animals/dp/B001E82C58/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1291428470&sr=8-3

Silly wooden dress up animals? They might appeal more to your aesthetics...