sick of buying toys that don't get looked at twice, anyone else?

[rockshandy]

I don't know what it is with my kids. We spend around £300 on them each at Christmas, and that is because we tend to not really spend money on toys throughout the year.

But it feels like they don't have as many toys as other children, and when I try to figure out what they play with I draw a blank. Toys they are bought end up with pieces missing/dolls lose their clothes/games are broken.

They are 5 and 8 so not babies either.

We are thinking of this Christmas now and everything I look at I just think what a waste of money because it won't make it past January.

DD2 is better at keeping her stuff nice and tidying up after herself but DD1 is the messiest person I know and there is a lot of stress centred around losing things/messy rooms/being disorganised. She has never been one for playing with toys or independently amusing herself.

Does anyone else find this? How do you manage it? What kind of toys do you find last the longest? So far the only things in this house that have worked is playdoh and colouring stuff.

I also try to look much further ahead...would that work? So my 1980s Lego and Brio and DH's train set have all come back out for our DSs. So when I spend £££s on Lego I reckon it's got 10-15 years to go now (DS2 is 18 months) and then will have another go round in 30 years time. £/play it's pretty good!

OP I have a 9 year old - and over the last year it's been really hard to find 'toys' that he'd play with. 'Big' presents tend to be tech, a big Lego set, bike or scooter etc. What about things like wireless headphones or speaker (if your 8 year old has a tablet), den building kit for the garden, decent walkie talkies for the two of them to use together, cheap camera, karaoke machine, CD player. Nothing that has a lot of 'bits' that can be lost.

DS has also started really like getting vouchers - book token, cinema etc. He's also had tickets for shows as presents before and is getting his first concert tickets this year as he's started getting really into music.

The fact that toys are not being played with surely highlights that you are buying too much? I have been there, spent way too much and the dd's have ignored most of it, then things get lost, broken and they lose interest in things. I remember buying furby's a couple years ago (played with once and then forgotten about), dolls houses (never touched), Sylvanian families (hardly played with, bits lost and broken), craft stuff (there's just loads of it all over the house) and a toy kitchen that got used to store other toys that they didn't play with.

The trouble is when you start buying huge amounts for Christmas you feel like you have to carry on each year because that's what they expect? You end up with a house full of unwanted plastic tat and you run out of things to buy as they have everything already.

My dd's are getting passports for Christmas as they want to go abroad, they will get a few small presents to open (as above) but I am saving to take them abroad for the first time which they will enjoy much more than a pile of unwanted gifts.

just had a thought how about a craft trolley? I made one for dd's to house the crafty mountain taking over my lounge. cost me around £100 in materials but is being used daily. here it is, was all from Ikea 😊

also puppet theatre and Ikea tent been used all the time - combine tent with torches and snuggly blankets for a perfect den 😁

Lego rollercoaster is currently £69 in smyths but I'm trying to go with clothes this year - my dds love clothes so it'll be the extras like a fun onesie each and party shoes, bath stuff, ballet stuff for dd3 and jazz dance stuff for dd2 and family games we can play together. Dd1 wants a flipazoo (another bloody cuddly) but dd2&3 got them for their birthday so she now wants one despite being 3.5 years older 🙄

I love the craft trolley idea.
I have spent loads some years( electronics) and very little others(£5.00 scooter from Argos)... I don't spend the same amount on each child each year , eg if one needs a bike or a cricket bat that might be bought ( not necessarily new) but if one wants a particular doll for a lot less money that might also be the main present. We have bought joint presents eg trampoline / climbing frame which were very successful and well used.
Would they like watches rather than toys?

Anyone wanting to cut down on toys to increase play should read simplicity parenting, great book.

Depends what playing they actually do. Ds liked building random shit, fighting, TV, cooking, comics and running about so lego, bikes, Rollerblades, a slushie maker, a subscription to the Phoenix and a trampoline all got the most use over this sort of age. He got quite a lot of stuff that failed and the trampoline probably didn't get the use that it should have done for the cost. There were unexpected hits such as the candle making kit and unexpected fails such as the bike computer thing - just not interested. When he saved up a load himself he bought a mini snooker table from toysrus.

I certainly think getting fewer things is easier on you because I bet if you buy 4 things and they love 2, like 1 and never look at 1, the last is the only one you remember

What about spending say £100 on gifts to wrap up & then just letting them choose how to spend the £200? My DS is only 7 and is already hoping to get given money for his bday so he can save towards a big purchase.
We don't spend loads on our kids at Christmas because we buy for quite a few people and also we don't have the spare cash. Luckily they do get lots from extended family so they get a good mix of nice gifts and also some cash. They wouldn't otherwise get a 'big' gift like some kids do.
I think it's up to everyone what they do - but if they aren't bothered about playing with the stuff then it's just a waste.

Um, I wasn't meaning to be insulting. I was trying to be helpful by clarifying You didn't only ask for present ideas, you asked how to manage the situation as well.

Toys that (while expensive) have lasted for ages here and are still constantly in use:

Magnatiles (lovely tactile, imaginative magneting building blocks that appeal to all ages)
Play silks (brilliant for dress up and take no room)

We have huge collections of both (started buying both around age 3).
Both tend to come out when my dd's friends come over, including this weekend at her 9th birthday party.

Also board games such as Animal upon Animal (appeals to all ages), card games such as Sleeping Queens, Rat a Tat Cat...

If my DD was younger I would get her the board game Enchanted Tower, it's supposed to be great. For the older DD maybe the board game Ice Cool?

My kids are similar ages, I think most modern day kids have 'too many' toys mine included (though i do try to do regular clear outs). I think the issue is we remember our toys as beloved as we had much less as kids, eg I loved Barbie and have fond memories of hours playing with them.

However, my kids have Barbies, but they also have Shopkins, Littlest Pet Shops, My Little Ponies, Playmobil, Beanie Boos, hexbugs etc etc I do keep sets together and I do rotate toys but it is still way too much!

After the Hatchimal/snuggle puppy (DD1 is a sucker for advertising!) thing last year I am really only going to buy my girls things that get regular use lego sets, boardgames, puzzles and maybe a decent craft set or two.

For the older one is easier to get non-toys now; she loved a bluetooth colour changing alarm clock radio she got for her birthday last year and this year I will get her a nice kids Swatch watch.

My favourite toy we ever got them was probably Magna-tiles. My kids build great creations, but also use it with their shopkins/playmobil/hexbugs etc

I try to stay away from big playsets of any kind, I find they mostly like the figures/little pieces.

Something you want
Something you need
Something to wear
Something to read

I try to keep this list in mind. I spend less though. Dress up clothes also count as wearable and a favorite packet of sweets in a nice jar is ok as well.