Toys Toddlers Actually Like
We have all been there, we buy a new toy for the kids and they love it! They play with it for a day and then they forget about it or it breaks. We are on our third toddler now and some toys have stood the test of time and some have fallen by the wayside. During the winter months it can be harder to get outside and play in the dirt and there are days that being inside just makes sense. Here are a few of our favorite indoor toys that still get a ton of action today.
Some things we look for in toys:
Durability – We want toys that aren’t going to break a week after getting them. Kids are tough on stuff and we try to take care of our toys but some times things get hucked across the room in a moment of rage… so we need toys that can handle that.
Open-endedness – We want toys that can be expanded and help our kids develop creativity. We don’t want toys that just do one thing.
Easy to clean-up – We don’t want clean up to be a 4 hour process. When it is time to put things back we want our toddler to be able to do it himself. That means we don’t want a ton of extra pieces and small parts.
Grows with them – We want toys that can be played with for years. They start simple and then can become more complicated as their imaginations grow.
Play-alone-ability – We want our toddler to be able to play with toys alone for a certain amount of time. We do love to play with our kids but we also need them to play alone sometime without our help. Over-complicated toys make it hard for kids to explore and play on their own.
These are by far the favorite of our 2 year old boy. He just recently figured them out and he loves them.
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No Cons Baby!
They make a bunch of different add-on packs for these but we haven’t enjoyed those as much. If you want to extend these and take them to the next level, I suggest just buying more of the basic packs.
You probably had these as a kid and for good reason. They are awesome. My toddler as just recently figured out how to make the pieces connect and if I get a cool train track set-up, he’ll play with it for hours. The older kids also love playing with our trains. We got a giant box from my in-laws that they saved.
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Train sets are a must have once your kids are old enough to start fitting the pieces together.
Our toddler went through a phase where he played with this stuff for literally hours on end. We gave him a measuring cup and a butter knife and he went at if for hours.
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There are a ton of different kinds of kinetic sand. They offer different tools and add-ons but that stuff is usually crap and just gets thrown away. We stick with the basic box and just use forks and knives and cups and spoons to spice things up.
The classic ball. You can’t beat it. I love the low-bounce Rhino Skin balls because they are easier to catch and don’t bounce around the house as much. They also don’t hurt when they get hucked at your face.
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Playing ball is a classic dad activity and for a good reason. It helps build connection and teach teamwork. These soft balls are great when it is too cold to go outside.
The marble run! This has recently made a comeback in our house. It is a super fun game for all of our kids. We like this basic set from Mindware because it doesn’t have too many extra parts. With too many pieces, it can get overwhelming to get started. This one is a bit harder for toddlers to set-up but after one of the kids or I set it up, my toddler will play with it for hours. (unless he is in a smashing mood)
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