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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

need more toys?.........

17 replies

dandycandyjellybean · 01/11/2006 21:32

I have a one year old ds, and whenever I am in mothercare or whereever, i feel totally overwhelmed by the amount/diversity of toys on offer (never mind the expense) consequently he has very few bright new toys to play with. he seems to really enjoy just simple stuff like my kitchen utensils, or supervised play with stuff in daddy's shed, the piano, drums, boxes, cupboard doors, my hairdryer, anything that isn't a toy. And yet when I visit my sister, whose 2 girls have a whole playroom of play kitchens, garages, barbies, cd/dvd players, i feel like a really bad mom and as though my ds doesn't have many toys at all. Should I go on a spree? If so, where? And what? Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I just can't seem to figure out what to buy, and am scared of buying the wrong thing coz it all seems so damn expensive. ?40 seems like a lot to shell out on something he plays with twice and then discards for more fun with the box!!! iyswim. Help

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Original poster

dandycandyjellybean · 01/11/2006 21:32

£40 oops.

OP posts:

clumsymum · 01/11/2006 21:35

No, if he's happy, and you're happy, then stuff the marketing people who are trying to make you buy stuff, and carry on as you are while you can.

Believe me in another 2 or 3 years he'll constantly be asking for stuff. But at 1 year old he won't play with that much.

Furball · 01/11/2006 21:52

I always thought stacking cups and ideal investment. Really cheap but played with loads. They don't need that much and most of it is plastic crap that play really annoying tunes!

all4ghoulz · 01/11/2006 22:44

You could choose a range like duplo /or happyland ELC , playmobil or little people and buy a couple of small bits if he likes them you can get some more.
my dd4 is almost 18m and likes the other girls' duplo train and zoo and the happy land cars and houses but I am lucky enough to have these already .
The other thing to try is a toy library run by a play group or surestart centre and try before you buy --my lo likes peek a blocks tried at home via toy library.
good luck it is a minefield its nice that he can not really ask yet but will all too soon in the future.

willandsamsmum · 01/11/2006 22:52

I agree with Clumsymum, if he's happy banging out tunes on your saucepans with wooden spoons, why spent £30 for a plastic eqivelent from ELC. They really do love the boxes more than the toy at that age!

My DH spent £25 on toys one day and our son ignored them all in favour of a small coke bottle filled with popcorn kernals. lol

LunarSea · 02/11/2006 08:00

tbh kids don't know or care if their toys are new - so check out you local charity shops/NCT sales/car boot sales etc. ds has loads of fabulous toys which have been bought this way for a fraction of the price they would be in the shops.

nailpolish · 02/11/2006 08:05

dont buy it cubby

my dd's have hardly any toys at all really. when their little friends come over i do feel a little embarrassed, but i dont care. my dd's are very happy.

my eldest dd has had a box of wooden blocks since she was a year old and these are still the most played with toys in the house

as your ds gets older you will see what he likes, be it imaginative play like action man, arty stuff likes paints or even books/puzzles/jigsaws.

having a pile of plastic tatt in your house does nt make you a great mummy

paulaplumpbottom · 02/11/2006 11:11

I am just like your sister with my daughter and I regret it. I hardly ever had new toys when I was growing up and I think I spoil my daughter because of it. However I have found out that this is really a dumb thing to do. She doesn't appreciate any of it and hardly touches most of it. I think new toys at Christmas and Birthdays is enough. Don't make my mistakes.

poppiesinaline · 02/11/2006 11:47

I think too many toys does them no good imo. If he is happy with pots and pans etc then fab. A large cardboard box can keep them entertained for hours too

If you do want to buy a few, get some from a charity shop or, do you have a 'toy library' near you?

ilovedolly · 02/11/2006 11:57

Deffo go to the Charity shops. I got a VTech play camera for 50p yesterday at my local - it only needed a clean and now it looks as good as new.

EmmyLou · 02/11/2006 12:04

He's only 1! What you have sounds fine to me - maybe get some stacking cups and nice wooden blocks for him, as nailpolish said, these can be used in all sorts of ways for many years to come. Helps with the development of the fine motor skills. At this age they love filling and emptying too - playing with space and volume.

If I were you, I'd spend your money on the good quality toys that will last and that leave room for your child's imagination. Try websites as shops just offer too much garish crap to wade through. Try this

and also Holtz toys (you'll have to Google it)

Their stuff is expensive, but IMHO, an investment in your child.

Having said that, I have 3 dds and Playmobil stuff has been used loads as they create whole worlds on the attic landing floor where it doesn't have to be tidied up at the end of the day. But that's from about age 3 (my 11 yr old still joins in too).

EmmyLou · 02/11/2006 12:06

Echo charity shop recommendations too - I still have stuff bought from my local Oxfam for dd1 which dd3 plays with 10yrs later.

rosie79 · 02/11/2006 12:53

Agree with the others that what you're doing is fine! He's only one so is fascinated by everything and can play with all sorts of things, don't feel guilty that your house isn't full of coloured plastic...you'll have that to come in the future!!

I made lots of toys for (supervised) play when DS was little. I collected milk bottle tops, he spent hours filling and emptying tupperware containers with them (he's 3 now and still plays with them, they make great counters).

Also, fill empty containers with dry beans, rice, pasta etc and you have great shakers and rain makers!

Old magazines and catalogues are great for tearing and scrunching up, hours of fun!

Paint six empty toilet roll tubes, string them together with some rope, have a longish bit of rope at one end and you have a pull along snake/catterpillar/train...
The good thing about 'toys' like these is you can just bin them if they get broken or tatty and make other ones!

Kif · 02/11/2006 22:42

Remember - it is not just the upfront expense - toys aren;t nearly as fun or as used unless you keep them tidy and accessible and all the bits together.

Think you're right to be cautious about buying - mounds of plastic tat can be quite overbearing for a small child IMO.

Focus on classics. My top recomendations: brightly coloured wooden blocks; Happyland intercity train and track set (£25 ELC); a couple of books; stacking cups/pouring cups. One 'plastic tat' thing that does seem to stand the test of time though is Dd's toy kitchen.

My Dd is older (2.5) and toys are becoming more of a big deal now. She's verbal enough to get value out of electronic toys (like the leap-pads) now - they were unseless until 2. She's into jigsaws, dressing up and make-believe games with her dolls (again - no interest until recently)

moondog · 02/11/2006 22:49

Cubby,my children have hardly anything and what there is is mostly second hand.

I am a speech and language therapist and give lots of talks to parents on play,language and development.Most feel like you and I spend a lot of time trying to reassure them.

Remember,these companies want you to feel bad if you don't spend a fortune.That is what they exist to do!!

At a very simplistic level,the less a toy does the better as it then requires a child to use his/her imagination and imagination is the building block of language.

Thus a cardboard box can be a house,a boat,a cave,and a bed.

A plastic Buzz Lightyear figure that says something when a button is pressed can only ever be that.

I consider the following to be useful investments:

teaset
dolls
dolls' house
books
something with wheels to transport stuff
blocks
cooking and washing up stuff (can be real)
something you can 'post' things into (can be easily made out of a box)

Original poster

dandycandyjellybean · 03/11/2006 19:50

thank you all so much for your replies, they have reassured me so much. Ds is bright and inquisitive and just loves to discover the world around him, and it seems that the couple of times I have spent money on something bright, plastic and relatively expensive he lost interest pretty quickly. Thanks for your recommendations of classics, he has some of them already, and i will invest in some others as and when. cheers again.

OP posts:

chelltune · 03/11/2006 20:49

I bought my DS Duplo for his first Christmas. This year he is 3.5yrs and we are still adding to his collection. It has been played with daily yet other toys have rarely been touched. I am relutant to buy many toys as they are just never played with.

I bought DD a toy food and teaset, that has been well used by her and DS. DD has played with it since 18mths old.

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