Advice on teepees/foam ballpits/foamblocks/balance board

[psuedocream3]

Trying to find a present for my one year old for Christmas and I'm not getting very far.

Does anyone have any recommendations on teepees/foam ballpits/balance boards/ foam blocks? Are they played with lots, pros and cons? Would you never buy again or is it your best buy?

Bumping just incase anyone had any good advice?

They’re all pretty big and ours didn’t get played with that much tbh. Things that did go down really well at that age were tubs of water, saucepans, going through kitchen cupboards, raiding my handbag etc etc. Softplay has all those things but bigger and better.

in terms of possible presents - little ride on trike went down really well at that age, bath toys, musical toys too, a play kitchen is good and gets lots more use when they’re toddlers

I've been looking at similar things and to be honest I'm not getting great feedback from friend's and family! Alot have said it was great for an Instagram picture and then they never played with them again haha!

I keep looking at the big wooden activity cubes/activity tables, debating balance bike/scuttle bug as had lots of positive feedback on those!

But I would love some suggestions for an almost 1 year old (DS will be 9months at Christmas)

Useless tbh take up loads of room and not really played much with by 18mo, in my experience. My local SureStarts always do soft play/inflatable sessions too

Gift ideas for one year olds:

• Season ticket to local farm or fancy soft play/NT or similar property with a nice playground
• Scuttlebug
• Lidl do little trikes you can push along as a parent, can take that handle off once bigger and then convert into a scooter eventually
• Play tents with tunnels that FOLD away for storage!! These do get used in the summer.
• Indoor small trampoline with handle (this will also not get played with much in my experience but usually they fold away small)
• Tuff trays (cement mixing trays from wickes etc) and fill with pasta/sand/water/food dyed yogurt etc

www.amazon.co.uk/B-Toys-Battat-BX1779Z-Wooden/dp/B07YL5TVR4

This is quite attractive looking so even if they stop playing with it, it looks nice in the house

Same thing as these, my kids always liked these tho, to chew on or fling around when they get a bit older
www.amazon.co.uk/toys-Inflatable-Ride-Bouncer-Toddlers/dp/B01LXZVT3O/ref=pd_aw_day0fbt_img_sccl_2/262-9454244-4797237?pd_rd_w=9Pbjk&content-id=amzn1.sym.43123c34-6a90-4838-943c-56fa90957dbd&pf_rd_p=43123c34-6a90-4838-943c-56fa90957dbd&pf_rd_r=2D1D6F1E44W0HKHQQRT0&pd_rd_wg=UxNTk&pd_rd_r=482dab73-26e0-4ef7-8c94-7237d0e75430&pd_rd_i=B01LXZVT3O&psc=1

Do not get a teepee unless you have tonnes of space and are happy to keep it forever!

We have a lovely one. DD hardly every plays in it, but won't let me get rid of it (she's six). It's a dumping ground for naked Barbies and broken princess crowns.

I'd second the play kitchen as a good shout. The one at MILs still gets used - wish I'd got that and she could have had the bloody teepee.

Thank you, that was my feeling and although we have space for these things I didn't want to buy something that was flimsy, easily breakable or simply bought for that instagram moment and never used again.

I have bought him a Wheelybug and a Nursery Times crinkly newspaper for Christmas
so far but I'm really struggling with other ideas as his older sister (4 years) passed down alot of her toys to him and I don't want to buy anything 'for the sake of it' but he needs presents to open too otherwise his sister will most likely notice.

My child is obsessed with balls in any form so the ball pit we’ve got (a basic fabric one, not foam) has had loads of use. But we’re lucky we’ve got a room we can stick it in out the way. Otherwise bulky and nearly all my mom friends have got rid of there’s already.
little tykes rocking horse I got around age 1, still loves it now.
those pop up tunnels are good fun too and easily folded down.
My family did get a load of foam soft play style blocks, but they’re pretty rock solid to be honest. So my advice would be don’t get that sort, literally all he can do is stack them into a tower. They’re too hard to climb on.
My best advice is buy all this sort of stuff off marketplace, it’s easily cleaned, so much cheaper and if your child hates it just wack it back on there for someone else to buy, nothing lost.