Great toys to buy for Christmas

[cloutiedumpling]

I read the other thread and realised that I'd bought most of the toys listed there, so I thought it'd be nice to have ideas from other mnetters about toys that'd be good to buy for the DCs. Ones that'd be played with every day and would last for years so I don't make any more expensive mistakes!

My first suggestion for other people is the duplo Thomas the Tank train set. We've had it for years and it has had a lot of play but is still in great condition. Also, the pieces are chunky enough that even kids aged 3 or so can put the tracks together without needing adult help.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

K'nex gets played with a lot in my house..
Brio still gets pulled out every now and again,
Any musical instrument toys like guitar and drum board
Nerf guns get loads of play

[BeaWheesht]

Anything imaginext. We have the bat cave, various vehicles, space stations, moon base, aircraft carrier, ship, and submarine. All except the moon base gets played with regularly and they are very hardy.

[gemdrop84]

We bought dd the spongebob squarepants pirate ship with figures of spongebob, patrick and gary. They also squirt water so the whole thing is ok to play in the bath with.

[ColdWinterMorning]

We got the elc rocket for ds1 when he was coming up for two. He played with it a lot, and even when he'd stopped playing with the spacemen, still used the rocket with lego figures, so played with it regularly until he was four. Ds2 is 11 months, loves press ing the button for the sounds, and can often be found crawling round the house with a spaceman in his mouth. I think it was on offer in Debenhams when we got it for about £25, for years ago.

[exexpat]

There's definitely a common thread running through here, isn't there?

My two DCs are older now (14 & 10), and the toys that we have had most use out of over the years have been: duplo, Lego, brio train set, basic wooden blocks, toy kitchen with lots of food etc to go with it, toy cash register, play-doh and tools, realistic small plastic animals and dinosaurs, and Sylvanians.

Notably absent from that list: anything with batteries, and anything overtly 'educational'.

Games that have also seen repeated use over the years: Orchard Toys shopping list game(4+), UNO (from about age 5), Cluedo (6/7+), Boggle (7+), and Solitaire. And lots of jigsaws.

[exexpat]

Oh, and it was a long time ago now, but we also had a lot of ELC HappyLand (and similar Fisher Price etc stuff) which got a lot of use from the early toddler years until age 4 or 5.

[sauvb]

Wooden kitchen and food
Shop till (played with above, but also with books, when we pretend it's the library!)
Wooden train set - bought john crane one and added to with thomas engines etc. (ditto garage, goldilocks & 3 bear house and similar - these off ebay)
Doctor and vet kits and dress-up
Lego / duplo
Happyland thumbs up here
jigsaws / play dough
fold away tents
roll away car mat (the sort that's like a rug, with village/roads/buildings etc. printed on it)
doll and pram
CD player and CDs, incl. audio CDs
Dmum's contribution - guitar, key board and mike from ELC - DCs love the noise they produce!
Shopping list game, ludo, snakes and ladders
Vtech camera - LOVED by DS, (and by DD, so we've given in and got her one for Christmas), even though we're on the 4th replacement in less than a year for DS... (has stopped working each time - can't fault Vtech customer service!)

DS - 5, DD - 3

Can we get this thread moved to Christmas rather than saved in chat? - I always look up these kind of threads when birthdays are coming up too - very useful. I'm posting and then off to work, but if anybody who reads my post knows how to shift it over so it's not lost in chat, I'd be grateful!

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

Excellent board games:

Cluedo
Junior Monopoly
Monopoly
Boggle
Upwords
Scrabble
Ludo
Snakes and Ladders
Coppit (old version)
Bang! (bullet version)
Apples to Apples
Rummikub
Cranium
Can't remember what it's called but you each have a mouse, one person has a cup and you have to pull your mouse away before it gets caught under the cup.

[QueenMaeve]

Lego always. We got an elc wooden castle 5 xmases ago and it still gets regular playing, very sturdy. The Toy Story folk always get played with here too .

[legalalien]

In terms of longevity - ds now 7 - the wooden building blocks that a friend bought when he was born - they've been used to construct all kinds of things - plastic animals, a hideous megaphone voice-changing thing which still seems to come out every play date, a wooden dagger, a magnetic dartboard and some padded quoits designed for really small children but which apparently make great ninja type weapons.....


We've had years and years of value from a selection of die cast WWII aircraft, but I appreciate these may not be for everyone. :)

[mumzy]

Scaletrix
Light sabres
Monopoly
Operation
Scrabble
Playing shops stuff: till, money, fake foods
Marble run
Magnetix
Chess set
Book sets

[SarahC1985]

A play kitchen has been the star in our house, my daughter got it when she was 2 and is now 5 and plays with it every day! You can buy add ons for Christmas or birthdays like a kettle, microwave, toaster etc. This year we got her a wii, she plays with her grandparents all the time and they are going cheap now as the new wii is coming out! I agree that train sets are always a winner!

[NickECave]

Absolutely love the Melissa and Doug folding castle. Really beautiful well-made toy that both my girls love and really stands out amongst all the pink plastic crap in their room

[Violet77]

Would like to add farm we have a good quality wooden one with scheich animals and dinos, they see a lot of play. Its the open ended stuff mine like the most!

I have found it more fun to have a lot of the same, so loads of playmobil or duplo, to build and extend play.

[mindyourhead]

Playmobil
Brio
Megabloks/Duplo/Lego
K'nex
Meccano
Wooden castle/garage/pirate ship/doll's house/kitchen/farm
Wooden blocks
Car play mat
Wheelybug
Bike/scooter/Razor/V triker
Shape sorter
Push along walker
Doll and doll's pram
Bubble machine
Playdough
Books
Wooden marble run
Snakes & ladders
Monopoly
Ludo
Twister
Screwball scramble
Boggle
Bingo
Doh Nutters
Frustration
Guess who
Jenga
Kerplunk

[Galaxymum]

Littlest Pet Shop TreeHouse - this is really sturdy and my DD loves putting her pets in the different crevices. I think if you have a child like mine who isn't so careful then Sylvanian Families easily lose pieces! But she loves this toy.

Also that Dinosaur track from ELC has been brilliant. Lasted three years and still loads of fun.

Instead of annuals we've decided on book sets from The Book People as they are such a great buy and enjoyed much longer.

[Rowlers]

My 5 year old DS LOVES Nerf guns - and may I suggest the "Jolt" if you're thinking of a Nerf? Smallest, cheapest (c. £4 although Sainsbury's just had them for £1.99) and very powerful.
He also loves board games - Orchard Toys "pop it in the post" has been a real hit here.
Lego never fails in our house.
I struggle more with ideas for 8 year old DD - she likes makey-doey stuff and would be happy with paper, glue and scissors to be honest!

[DesperatelySeekingSedatives]

Duplo keeps ALL the family occupied! I've been known to build with while watching tv after the kids are in bed when somes been left on the floor so has FIL

pens and paper. Always a hit

Any kind of figure to join 5 year old DD's army of "people".

Innotab is played on every single day by DD.

anything with wheels that can be pushed along. toy buggies, hoovers, pushers- 1 year old DS is not fussy!

CD player and story CDs.

Bath toys- but the simpler and less expensive the better ime.

[Iamalmost40]

Ds is 4 and loves his Lego and Playmobil. Has never been into trains or cars really.

Recommendation for a game is Lego Sunblock. Think it's an old one but we are all addicted to it. Will definitely be buying more Lego games

[Taffeta]

Sylvanians
Scalextric
Jenga
Monopoly
Bananagrams
Scrabble
ipod touch
DSi
Snooker table
Footballs/football goal
CD player
Moshis
Usborne colouring books and lovely felt tips
Scooters/bikes

Mine can take or leave Lego and Playmobil, not that interested, or in any building items, never have been, much to DH's sadness

[bookwormthatturned]

It's good to see a few mentions of the Melissa and Doug's folding castle.

I've been looking at it for my DS who's 6 as it's a good size but can be packed away but was wondering if it was aimed at younger children. Only having seen it online it's difficult to tell.

If you've got one / seen one would you say it's aimed at toddlers or would be okay for older children?

[MonsterBookOfTyFawkes]

Lego
Take along thomas. Had for 2 years and still going. Ds is getting the Quarry climb this Christmas

[allagory]

micromini scooter we bought last DS2 (2) last year has seen a lot of use this year and anticipating a lot more next year when he moves up from the loop to the T-bar.

Monopoly Deal is a great stocking filler for an older child (8) - takes about 2 hours less than standard monopoly.

[PiedWagtail]

Playmobil
Lego
Happy land v popular here
Play shop
Guess who, connect four, kids monopoly, any orchard toys game, scrabble
Art and craft stuff - can't go wrong with felt tips!
Playdoh
Doctor's set
Jigsaws
Balloons
A soft ball for playing footy snide
Brio and wooden train tracks