Mamas & Papas-
Can't thank you enough for your X-mas toy suggestions last year. DS was 14 months at X-mas and he loved the hammer and pegs, the pull along frog toy, and the stacking puzzle train toy.
Need some suggestions for this time around. He's a very active boy, and loves running around. He's also very much in the helpful/ imitating phase, and wants to do more and more of what we're doing.
So rack your brains, and let me know what was much loved, constantly dragged around, always in need of more batteries in your house.
Thanks in advance,
F. B.
You've got lots of great suggestions so far! I would add a flashlight! My son loves his flashlight!!
Tools (plastic kind w/tool box & hard hat)
Train set (you can even get the wood rails you put together & the train set
stays together via magnets so no noise) or you can get the noise train
set.
Building blocks (wood)
Leggos (the big huge kind)
Wood horse to ride around & play cowboy (the one on a stick kind)
Cars (Matchbox & bigger kinds too)
Erase board w/dry erase pens
Chalk board & chalk
Desk (toddler kind. We got the wood kind. He loves it)
Finger paints
Baby/toddler mitt & ball. Both made out of fabric w/velcro to catch the
cloth ball. Fits tiny hands.
Plastic golf set for toddlers
Plastic bat & tee ball set for outside play.
If you want to go big, a play kitchen is a huge hit at this age. My son was super into cars and trucks at that age, so anything with wheels was a big hit. He also liked playing with balls (and still does). We bought him a ride-on toy for his first birthday that he still uses today and he's five years old!
I am a Discovery Toys consultant and we have a few things that are super popular with boys this age:
Working Trio - a set of three dump trucks in different sizes that can hook together, stack on top of each other, or drive independently. They are friction powered so they zoom across the floor. Here's a link to the trucks and some of their benefits: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao...
Measure Up Cups - both of my kids (ages 5 and 2) love these! They use them in the sandbox, the water table, the bath, with playdoh, etc My older one uses them for experiments and measurement, younger one works on colors and numbers http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao...
Tangiball - a great sensory toy and very fun ball to play with! Comes in small (turquoise color with a vanilla scent) and large (bright red with a strawberry scent). It's very tactile and both my kids love it: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao...
If your son likes to imitate Mama and Daddy, get him a broom and dustpan his size, a small snow shovel, handyman tools (child-appropriate but not too flimsy), and other implements that make him able to do what you're doing.
You could try more puzzles if he has enjoyed the ones he has. Is there a tricycle in his future, perhaps? If he likes drawing and coloring, get him some chunky washable crayons (not markers, unless you want to repaint the walls and reupholster the furniture) and a chunk of very large-sized drawing paper. Get him some balls to throw around or kick around outside. Books and music are always a good idea.
My almost-two-year-old grandson is getting as close to a drill as I can find for his age. His idea of a good time is dismantling anything he can dismantle - including the dishwasher.
Duplo (the large Lego building blocks)
Get a few large Tonka trucks
Our son had/has a thing for firetrucks - he has an extensive collection in all kinds of sizes.
Get him his very own tool belt - we didn't bother with a toy belt - Dad got him the real thing - but we put toy tools in it.
He LOVED his toy chain saw!
For awhile he liked a toy doctor bag we got him - it had a pretend stethoscope, thermometer and syringes and band-aids (we got him child sized scrubs to dress up in) - he'd come in, take my temperature say "Oh, you are very sick - we have to operate" then put a band aid on me (it was a bracelet that looked like a band aid) and say I was all better now - it was SO CUTE!
When my son was young, his grandpa made a 'lock box' for him. He found a small wood tool box and covered it with locks, buckles, ties, and many other closures that kept his busy little hands occupied for hours. Was one of his favorite toys for years.
Me me me....I know this one!!!! (raising hand)
wait for it.......
.......GeoTrax!!! (http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/geotrax/index.html)
We bought this for my son (now age 7) when he was 2 yrs old and he still plays with it. This has by far been the toy from which we have gotten the most mileage.
They also come with DVDs, inlcuded with some of the sets. And my boys love to watch the GeoTrax episodes while creating their own scene.
Good luck!
A.
A work bench, a fire station, a train.
This was the piont when my son wanted monster trucks. Everything. We got him the ones that you push and he was set.
We also got him a computer that had letters. For almost a year that thing got used 4 to 5 times a day every day. It has a maze on it that he loved.
Also we got a cooking set because he wanted to help in the kitchen. He would make me so much food I was full of air pretending to eat it.
Throughout the preschool years these are what my kids played with the most:
-blocks, trains, plastic animals and cars
-kitchen, store (cash register) dress up, babies, action figures and little people
-balls, bats, hoops, sand/water table, riding toys
-play doh, chalk, paint, crayons/markers and plenty of paper
<sigh> I miss that age. Everything they want now is either hi tech or high fashion and uber expensive :(
My guys had this Little Tikes semi trailer truck. It was their favourite truck because the trailer had doors, and they could fill it up with stuff and drive it around. That is the only one of their toddler toys I kept. The other most played with was the Little People Garage. They played Little People with it, of course, but they also drove their Hot Wheels up and down the ramps, and then the Spiderman actions figures played in it etc...
