Toys suggestions for grandparents house

[Lulooo]

I have 2 grandchildren, approx 9 month and 11 months old. We babysit a few times in a week for 2-3 hours at a time. I realised we need something to entertain and stimulate them whilst they're here as we don't really have any toys other than a few rattles. But I'm stumped on what to get. I don't want anything that takes up too much space and would prefer something that will tidy away easily as I'm a bit of a neat freak. I can get a small box to pack toys away into though.

Any ideas? I don't want to just go out and buy tat on impulse.

Do you have friends, neighbours or acquaintances who have toddlers or primary aged children in their families?

As you are best of getting toys and books *of them rather than buying new toys and books. People will be happy to off load stuff on you.

I mentioned books as young children including babies like being read to.

id get some books, some animal figures and some cars, maybe a small ball or a pull along animal (they’ll be walking soon). Keep them in a box that you bring out/put away when they go. I’d start by going to a charity shop or a car boot sale where you can usually pick up toys or books for pennies until you get an idea what they like.

Books, the colourful simple hard cardboard type,
Shape sorter puzzles. Stacking cups/blocks.
A few cars.
One thing that proved a hit was a Fisher Price telephone, Its still brought out now and again and my youngest grandchild is six. She plays ‘Shops’ and uses it to take ‘On Line shopping orders’.
Mega Blocks.
Push along toys, a toy folding buggy
You start of with a small box and end up with a bigger box/s
One thing I find useful is long handled grabber to pick things up after they’ve gone home. Save ‘a my back and my knees.com protesting.

Visit charity shops. We bought loads of stuff and washed it. Stacking beakers to my mind are the best toy ever as they have so many uses. As they grow buy simple puzzles and books in charity shops. I miss the afternoons snuggled in an armchair reading endless stories.

Yes to the above posters suggestion of buying from Charity shops/boot sale etc.
I’ve had some bargains from C/S’s. I wash or spray them with Dettol anti bac spray if unable to wash them.

Charity shops! We don't look after gc but when they visit we have books, garage, wooden train track and a dolls house.

At their current ages I’d ask the parents to pack a bag of toys. They grow out of the baby stuff so fast. From around one onwards I’d get some Duplo - it will grow well with them and can be supplemented.

also, playmobil 123 range is excellent. The Noah’s ark was much loved in our house and again, can be supplemented with additional sets.

Books always good. Crayons and paper too.

Toys for the garden too if you have a garage to hide them in?

My parents and grandparents both had a set of djeco stacking cubes for my kids (both second hand) they pack away into the box and can be used for loads of different games and the age range is quite big once they start paying attention to the pictures on the side

Agree on Duplo - my DD is 7 and its still played with by her and visiting friends of all ages. Will gets years worth of play out of it.

www.birdkids.co.uk/toys/my-friends-stacking-cubes/

Here is a link sorry!

Ask their parents if they have anything you can have. When we got overwhelmed by toys (easily done!) we'd have a clear out and spread them out to Grandparents.

Means kids play with what's at home more as well as giving them something at yours.

Agree stacking cups. Babies learning to crawl and walk love to try to get them to knock down the towers, you can hide toys under them, babies like taking things in and out of them, later they can stack them and build, you can talk about the colours and the pictures if they have them, you can pour with them in the bath…best toy ever!

plus books as pps have said, and duplo and some wooden train track for when they’re a bit older.

Although a little early, I would suggest magnatiles. My eldest started playing with them aged 2 and still plays with them 8 years later. They have been used as homes/habitats for toy animals, dolls, my little ponies, octonauts, paw patrol etc etc! They are very easy to tidy and my kids love them. I would also suggest some toy animals. I really like terra by battat toy animals as good quality and in proportion and correct colouring etc! They have a lot of ranges including dinosaurs and sea creatures etc. also agree with keeping some stacking cups, a few story books (or getting a library membership close by) , and different sizes of balls. You can also create weekly ‘treasure baskets’ at this age where you gather different objects from around the house and put them in a box or basket for them to explore- there’s lots of ideas online. My children loved their grandmothers sewing scrap bag! Also some colours/crayons etc. ikea sell a portable drawing case (Mala) which you can prepare with age appropriate scissors and colours and stickers and keep tucked away when not in use. It has a hard surface on one side to put paper for drawing.

Wooden train track has great play value and tidies away into a box. You can get brio or the various dupes (IKEA etc) all fit together and work fine. Start with a simple circular track and a few simple wooden trains. They'll just chew and bash them to begin with, then they'll start to play with it properly and you can add as much or as little to the set as you like.

Have a look on eBay at toy bundles for ages "x". Great value for money!!

Check with the parents to see if they can divide up some toys and you rotate them.

At that age stacking cups and a ball were big hits here. Others are books, small musical instruments (supervised in case they chew on them) and pull along toys.

When they are a bit older toys like Duplo, HappyLand etc are good and easy to store away. Playdoh, crayons and paper and toddler puzzles are good things to have at hand.

Don't underestimate the thrill of your kitchen cupboard. I think DD played more with my plastic containers, some coloured rice and a serving spoon than the toys she got for her first birthday.

Blocks, a toy garage and cars. These are the ones at GP's house that keep all 8 grandkids (ages 11years -9months) entertained. Also the older kids interact with the little ones and make things more elaborate so they don't grow out of them as fast.

so things I’d go for that don’t take up much space are: books, water drawing mat, balloons (obviously have to watch them like hawks but this is my 13mo favourite thing to play with right now!), and a set of small toy figures eg animals. Slightly larger but normally a good hit is play food/play plates etc. they might need to be a bit older for that though.

For longevity I'd go for a box of second hand duplo, preferably one with lots of animal pieces which they can play with as figgers until they are old enough to build with blocks. A bubble machine for the garden has been popular from babies to primary school age and as pp have said some kids picture books.

My IL's have wooden blocks and DH's brio set plus a couple of soft toys.
I would add a bit of Duplo to that. As they get older some colouring books, board game etc.

at that age, a saucepan and a wooden spoon, plastic tubs, cups etc will be fine!

Books, wooden building blocks, stacking cups, a ball and a pull along will see you through for a while. Buy second hand if you can. Make a natural materials box with different textures to explore with household objects. And sing lots.

Some of my earliest memories are of being looked after by my grandparents ☺️.

Yes to stacking cups, building blocks and something that can be dragged or pushed around. A few soft toys, books, one of those toys with different shaped holes and pieces you push through the matching holes and those wooden block jigsaw things.

Start looking out for Second hand brio / playmobil / duplo / toy cars for when they’re older, ask friends if they have any in the loft they’re looking to get rid of or sell. For storage get a nice box with lid or one of those play mats with a drawstring that doubles up as storage.

At 12 months my DC loved cardboard stacking blocks and wooden blocks.

the 5 minute mum book has great suggestions of games and activities that use things around the house.

Some fantastic ideas here. Thank you. I've made a list of some to look out for and I'll go down to the second hand market this Sunday to see if I can find some of them there first.