To ask what toys you kids have?

[catsjammies]

I have a DD 3.5 and DS 18m. They seem to play with very few of their toys, except to make a huge mess with them (literally just throwing them around) and we have no 'big' toys like a toy kitchen (we do have a TriClimb though). It's driving me completely bonkers. We live in a flat and used to rely heavily on playgroups, rhyme time, and nursery for most of their playing and with months (or more 😱) until that's an option, I'm looking to overhaul our toy space a bit. Does anyone want to share toy tips?

My dd who has just turned 3 likes the fisher price food truck and the leap frog ice cream cart.

How much of their toys are open ended/creative play, and how many are things that just do one thing/make a noise when you press a button/involve little creativity or exploration?

Less is more. Wooden trainset is good and lasts a long time as you can expand. Lego as well (or Duplo for little ones). Little ones love an old mobile phone too (a real one). In fact they love real life stuff - baking a cake together etc. If in a small space get a Play & Go playmat/drawstring storage to scoop it all up at the end of the day. Clay/arts & crafts - but at that age this will need to be with you. Avoid slime and glitter at all cost.

I agree that open ended toys are better, those that can be played with in a variety of ways using their imagination. I have a 2 yo and 4 yo and they both enjoy :
Magnetic tiles
Wooden bricks
Play food with different baskets /bags etc
Play kitchen equipment like pans bowls etc
Train track
Duplo /Lego
Small animals
Arts and craft equipment

I have boy-girl twins (3.5).

He is only really interested in transport toys, jigsaws and the tv! But he does focus on them for good lengths of time.
DD likes a wider range of stuff, but doesn't have the staying power to stick with an activity for long. But she's just starting to get into imaginary and small world play.

When they were littler, cars, bricks and animals were consistent favourites.

Honestly though, we bought them far too much plastic tat. Way more than me and DH had as kids! We don't know what came over us!
Now the DCs are getting a bit older, we trying to purge out a good lot of the plastic tat, and buy more stuff that is going to grow with them a bit, and stuff we know they are genuinely interested in.

DD is 4.5, her favourite toys are:

• Duplo
• People (Happyland/Playmobil/Sylvanian families)
• Cuddly toys/dolls
• Dressing up

She likes arts and crafts, but I tend to limit it to drawing, painting and junk modelling for the sake of my own sanity and tidiness. I'm gradually weeding out the ones she doesn't use much; she likes jigsaws, memory games and board games if we play with her. Her toys pretty much fit into two boxes because she's usually in nursery, but during lockdown we've been doing a lot of games with household stuff - 5 Minute Mum is great for ideas that don't need you to buy lots of new toys or equipment.

Thanks for all the tips! We have a lot of open-ended stuff. Huge basket of duplo, train track, a set of Grapat Nins, building blocks, basket of tea-party stuff and wooden fruit and veg. Sounds like we have the right stuff, glad they're not deprived and other kids are similar!

Have you any small world op? Such as happyland? Elc s happyland is brilliant for imagination and doesn't take up lots of space.

Do you play with them? Any dollies/pushchairs?

Playdough with you in the kitchen only and have fun. Could even make some and add glitter.

Toy kitchen has been a huge hit. Both children love it and ds is almost 7. Our's has a chalkboard so he writes shopping lists for us. Dd loves cooking us and doll meals.

Also Happyland!

Mine loved and still do their tuff tray. Loads of ideas on the internet. I bought spoons of various sizes, pipettes, pots, food colouring etc and mine love making potions. There are facebook groups for ideas for this x

Mine are 7 & 9 and still occasionally play with their toy kitchen. That and making dens with sticks, boxes, sheets etc. When they were little they liked musical instruments, lights, books and big cars that they could ride on.

2:5 year old
Small toy kitchen
Jigsaws
Dress Up
Car & Horse Racetracks/Ramps

He is very much into imagination play and loves pretending he’s in an aeroplane (puts all the cushions on to the floor etc) or else pretend he’s a Merpup (thanks a lot Paw Patrol) and is swimming and having adventures in the sea (aka the rug)

14 Month Old
Ball
Musical Instrument: Drum, Maracas, Tambourine
Walker (more for the light up buttons than for walking)

He is very into his nursery rhymes (acting out the songs) and copying what his big brother is doing

DS is eighteen months, I don't have little bits of plastic tat, he doesn't miss out. He has a nice wooden train set made from building blocks/shapes, a few peg board puzzles - some make animal sounds, a latch board, a wooden push along parrot on a stick, a pull along alligator and dog, a few wooden vehicles, a wooden ark and Safari truck with animals, a small Duplo set, a Playmobil set, some interstars, a hape piano, xylophone, musical blocks, maracas, a Wheely bug, aquadoodle mat, a firetrucks walker thing with an activity bit on the front, a rocking soft dinosaur from JoJo (birthday gift), a sand table, swing, castle thing with built in slide, a little tykes car, some bits we take to the beach (bucket, spade etc) ,a couple of different balls, a few soft toys/puppets and a shed load of books, oh and a few bath toys like the pipes, starving boats etc. We've bought more outdoor garden toys since lockdown because he's an only child and we're trying to keep him active. It sounds like a lot but really there are just some nice pieces he can really interact with and will last a while.