[Losgann]

I am overwhelmed by all the things my children own but never play with. I've donated, rotated and just plain tossed so much stuff and they still have more.

I want to drastically reduce what they have (and don't want) and replace it with a few things they will enjoy for a long while to come.

What types of toys do you avoid?

What types of toys do you get?

My ds is 8, is very into science and nature. He's also very destructive.

My dd is 5 (in a week or so) and has an imagination as big as the great outdoors! She is my little actress.

So give it to me! What is in your kids toy boxes? And what's not?

 

[Losgann]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diaper_Addict_Jen I had the same issues. Here is what I did. Got rid of the cheap plastic toys. Unplugged the TV. I bought mostly wooden & natural toys. I have a bunch of folkmanins puppets, erzi wood foods & other toys that use imagination. Works great. They actually play with thier toys now! They don't break either.

This is what I've started to do, slowly. Willow loves puzzles so I've gotten a bunch of those. I really like the wood ones, and the multi sided cube ones give her a challenge.

I've gotten a couple wooden food sets- everyone loves those when they come over.

We want to get her a puppet theater for her birthday. We were at Bombay Co a few months ago and she shrieked with glee and made us sit for a good 30 minutes while she performed with the puppets.

Ethan is harder to buy for. He prefers people to things, which, for an autistic is pretty good, but I'm always on the lookout for toys for him to precipitate joint play with him, something he enjoys that will draw the other kids to him.

He has a large Brio train set and table but he's never really played with it. He's not really into anything that is imagination based. He prefers science and facts. Microscope? Telescope? Metal detector?

I'm getting started but I wish I knew *what* the kids would thrive on and what I can toss and not worry about replacing. You know?

 

[Losgann]

How sturdy are the playmobil toys? Do the pieces come apart? If it can be taken apart, ds will take it apart and it will never be played with again.. He seems to really enjoy taking things apart..

We actually stopped buying him things because of that.. five minutes after he opened it he'd have it in pieces and never look at it again.

 

[Losgann]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2GR8KIDS If he is a "deconstructor" you still might do OK with things like Lego, Knex, Zoobs, etc. .

I like that term, 'deconstructor'.

That's definitely him!

We had the larger lego pieces when he was younger and he did like those, we just didn't have very many. I looked up the zoobs though and those look REALLY COOL!!! Especially some of what they showed you could make with them- Ethan is totally into insects, especially the 'dangerous' ones like scorpions and tarantulas.

I'm going to get him some of those. Ooh, and they both LOVE marbles. I found a wooden marble run at the same site.

Thanks for the lead!!

 

[Losgann]

Okay this thing annoys me. My dad got it for Will a few years ago and she's *never* played with it. It's the type with a remote control, but it makes such a horrible screeching noise that Will tends to leave it alone.

It's been the doorstop in her bedroom for the last year. But she's getting more into Barbies (she has a few I picked up at a yard sale sans clothes. :LOL ) and I think, "what if I toss it and that's when she'll decide she wants to do Barbies and misses it?"

I do this to myself. Do they even make the barbie cars that aren't motorized anymore?

I used to have the Barbie Vette. Hmm.. ebay..

:LOL