A Few Of Our Favourite Toys

This post has been in the making for some time. I have had friends who have ask what our favorite toys are and why so here it goes.....

Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Barn : We have had this since Baby T's first birthday and it is still a big hit! At 20 months Baby T is actively imaginatively playing with it, not that she was not before but the play has changed from discovering the animals and placing them in various places to feeing the animals and putting them to bed.  This product is well made and even though it says 3+ on it I think it is fabulous for the younger kids too. 

Animal figurines : The farm animals we have came with our barn and since then we have gotten some 'zoo animals' and some 'ocean animals' as an addition. I would still like to get more but I find it hard to find the larger size animals at a good price and that are good quality. Animal figurines have a long 'play lifespan' and can be used in dramatic play, science discussions, and they are wonderful for painting with too (use them to print or as a canvas). 

Blocks : These never get old! Stack them, knock them down, sort, make a city there are a million things you can do with blocks and they are timeless. Currently we have the three styles you see in the above pictures by I really, really want the natural ones like these natural branch blocks.  

Rainbow Arch :  This is one of the most beautiful toys. We use it for building but it is also a puzzle and it's used in play set ups I put together with the animal figurines. Again this toy has a long 'play lifespan' and you can get more and more intricate as the child masters it. I find it just as great for inspiration in art or in plays-capes. I bought it here. They have all sorts of different ones and I hope to get a few more. 

Plan Toys lacing Geo Beads : I love these, love them! They are beautiful and fun. I set them up all the time for Taya to play with mostly in plays-capes at the moment. The beads are a puzzle as well as lacing beads so it has many different functions for us.  

Ikea pots and pans : Ours actually are not Ikea they were a wonderful gift from my German uncle and aunt. The Ikea ones are similar though and I like them because they seem 'real' and kids seem to prefer the actual to the toy versions. These are favourites in our house and are often pulled out to play with. What child does not like helping in the kitchen?

Pom Poms : Are they not just stunning! We have a big ziplock bag full and we use these for tons of things. I keep a bow full of them with the pots and pans above, it becomes food for the animal figurines, I fill our sensory box with them (post on that soon!) we occasionally have pom pom rain where we throw it in the air and watch it land (gets most kids out of a funk) then use the rainbow arches as a 'snowplow' to collect them. Pom poms are great fun. 

Instruments : We have more then what you see here but this gives you an idea. I occasionally leave music playing in the room while Taya is playing and when I go back to check on her she is playing with her instruments.  I have fun with them too. 

Silks : These are another super versatile toy we have and one that also has a great 'play lifespan'. We started using these when baby T was a little baby. We have use them for peek-a-boo,  as well as running them across her skin as sensory play, hanging them up so she could crawl through them, pulling them out of a box (like the magic cloth box), blankets for her dolls, for dancing with. Later they will most likely be used for dress up, making forts etc. I bought one pre dyed and then I bought some plain while ones and dyed them with koolaid, Here are the instructions. 

Stroller + Dolls : This does not need much explanation but it is a favourite and high use toys in over here and when we have boys over they too LOVE the dolls and especially the stroller.  

Pull toys : Our pull toy is getting more and more use these days. It comes out every day at the moment for a run around our place - poor neighbours below, maybe I should put electrical tape on the wheels?.

Felt Board : I had babydaddy make this and it was easy. 1 Ikea frame, spray adhesive, some felt. Use spray adhesive to glue the felt on the backing of the frame, put the frame back together and put on wall - DONE. You can buy wonderful felt animals at amazon (so need to do this still!) or you can make your own which is pretty simple too. Taya likes to examine them and stick them on pull then off at the moment. In time she may start to tell stories or songs with them. At the preschool and daycares I have worked in kids love playing with felt boards. 




So there you have it our most used toys! I will have to take a picture of our play room so you all can see what it looks like.... hopefully I can get to that soon.