What was the most useless toy you have ever bought your child?

[Tinker]

Just thinking about this as I've just put my daughter to bed and I was surrounded by the morgue of discarded toys.

Spotted the Animal Hospital lurking in the corner which was bought in panic for her last birthday - never played with. Her fifth birthday is due in 6 weeks and I was wondering - what should I AVOID?

[Lindy]

Sorry to change the subject from stationery (yes, I love it too!) but many thanks for all your comments re the toy mountain.

Have had a week 'off' mumsnet as been busy with the birthday etc - yes, he did get loads & loads but fortunately it was 99% very tasteful, lots of lovely books, wooden toys and clothes (plus money for his account).

I do appreciate all your suggestions & have decided to do the following -

sort out 'older' toys for charity
recycle some new ones for raffles etc
limit offering everything at once

Thanks again for your feedback and good to know I am not the only person in this situation, I was beginning to wonder if I was being mean to DS!

[emsiewill]

Yippee. I truly thought I was the only strange person in the world who enjoys browsing in stationery shops. I'm v lucky, 'cos I've got a branch of Osbournes opposite my house, and can pop in after dropping dd off at playgroup - it's only a small branch, but can keep me occupied for an hour. A real treat for myself is to go to Staples and really indulge.

[ScummyMummy]

Hurray hurray hurray! I didn't know that other stationary fetishists existed, let alone people sad enough to haunt the aisles of Paperchase like I do!
I am going to make my partner read this thread so he never teases me again!
BTW I've got a v gorgeous notebook in my bag from Paperchase at this very moment AND it has matching siblings at home. I'm actually remembering to jot things down in it too though obviously only in my very best writing with my very best pen!

[Bugsy]

Lindy, you may find that the frantic gift buying will tail off a bit after the first birthday. We were in the strange situation last year of having to buy extra presents for ds for his second birthday as he got so few things. We didn't have a party this year and I think that made a big difference.
If you do get obscene amounts of stuff, it may be worth 'phoning up your council and asking if there is a mother & baby refuge that would accept some of things you can't keep.

[JanZ]

This is more of a success story: Dh and I got ds a wee chair from Ikea for Christmas - it's like a scaled down version of their "grown up" cantilevered arm chair and was only £19. We got it because we could visualise him tearing off the wrapping paper and then climbing into the chair - which is exactly what he did do on Christmas Day. He wasn't walking at the time, but he had great fun clambering in and out of it and sitting there looking very proud of himself. One of the advantages - which we hadn't thought of at the time, was because of the cantilever design, he can stand up in it, lean against the chair back and it doesn't topple over. The only problem with that is that he may try the same thing on other "kiddy sized" chairs - and then get a shock when they tip over!

[berries]

Best present for my 2 dds was 2 christmas' ago. We bought a set of 3 drawers (like a filing cabinet only brightly coloured plastic) and a load of stuff from the Baker ross catalogue - different felt shapes, stickers of all types, sequins etc. It's definately the thing they played with most throughout the year. This year, we got a big cardboard box and re-stocked, including 'goggly' eyes, which went down well. Always include pritt sticks and sellotape, plus loads of paper. We also get a few more expensive things which are only to be used when mum or dad are around to help.
I also find that because there are lots of little things, they seem to thinks its 'more' than if you bought them one large item.
Other things in our house are baby dolls, but should have just gone for baby Annabelle and rock-a-bye chou chou (like Annabelle but cheaper and more cuddly) instead of trying all the cheap ones first, none of which are ever touched now.
Biggest mistake was Amazing Ally. Only bought it because it was the only thing dd really wanted this christmas, and gave into the fact that I knew she would be really dissapointed if she didn't get it. Should have trusted my own instincts there. Still, its still in the box so if anyone wants one......

[slug]

Oooh, my secret shame, paper fetish. I thought I was the only one until my SIL was over from Germany and I introduced her to the delights of the big Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road. We give each other nice stationary for presents, much to the bemusement of my brother and Dh.

[SueW]

Jasper I already have the Viking catalogue. In my area they deliver before close of business if you order beofre noon, IIRC. And I have a good stationery/office supplies shop down the road too. I am sooooo spoilt!

I happily flick through catalogues of promotional items I cold buy to promote my (non-existent) business and dream of rolls of labels and stickers and rubber stamps, personalised pencils and biros. In fact, sometimes I think it would be worth starting my own business just to order such items

Seem to have talked myself into the role of fund-raising co-ordinator for local NCT branch anyway so there's an excuse to create posters, leaflets, tickets, etc which gives me another valid reason to go sniffing around stationery shops.

[SueDonim]

Oh, stop, stop, Jasper - I'll be too excited to sleep again tonight!! I was in seventh heaven last year on holiday in America, gazing at all thier fantastic stationery supplies. We bought a load of stuff home.

[Hilary]

Oh dear, should have deleted the 'am'

[Hilary]

Hurray, I am have a stationary fetish too - my husband thinks I am mad but now I can tell him it's not just me!

I can't resist Office World and the like but even a few shelves in Woolies is enough to have me racking my brains as to what I need!

Jasper, your paint game sounds just great. My two (also 3 and 1) would love it.

[jasper]

You stationery fetishists should get a hold of the Viking Office supplies catalogue. Think it's available online and it is FAB!! Dead cheap, reams of coloured paper,fancy cardboard, sellotape at unbelievably low prices...boxes of biros, pencils...sigh!

[Rhiannon]

I can't believe you're all admitting this, remember some of you are going to meet!!!!

[SueW]

Thanks Bron - I'll have a look online.

Digging around the net today though I found the British Origami Society and a supplier of paper in South Ken. Might be a good excuse for an away day to the Science and Nat History museums

[SueDonim]

Sue W, that's brought back memories of being 'Cupboard Monitor' when I was at school!! My best friend and I shared it and I reckon we turned out that cupboard at least three times a week. All those rubbers and exercise books and chalks and silver stars and the pencil sharpener with a handle on the side and even unused blackboard cleaners. Brilliant!

[SueW]

I also have a stationery fetish! My favourite job at junior school was stationery monitor - all that lovely-smelling brand new paper - yummmmmm -and boxes of beautifully sharp, unused pencils. I got a Saturday job in WH Smith at the age of 15, which probably helped feed it

Even now I can find all kinds of excuses to buy new pens, paper, crayons, etc. Well, only one excuse really - all done under the guise of encouraging DD's creative side

[SueDonim]

Both my girls love paper, too, and DD2 will be getting a present of different sorts of papers for her birthday from DD1. I think they inherit a love of stationery from me, cos I can't resist buying nice writing paper and so on. My DD's must have gone through a million miles of sellotape and staples and glitter and glue over the years.

[jasper]

Sue W my son shares your daughter's love of paper.
Having slagged off Christmas cards at the end of last year my ds has had hours of fun chopping up the old cards with scissors ( kids' safety scissors from ikea, dead cheap)
Another favourite game for my two ( aged three and one) is I completely cover the kitchen table in lining wallpaper, sellotaped to the table, and sit the kids on it with no clothes on and squirt blobs of paint on the paper. They have brush each but usually just use their fingers and feet to make a right old mess.As a parent you have to be in the mood for this as it takes a bit of effort but it really is a lot of fun.
They go straight from this game into a waiting bath.

[SueW]

I've just introduced DD to origami which she loves.

For any of you who also have paper fiends for kids, I'd thoroughly recommend 'Easy Origami' by John Montroll (Amazon, £3.32 plus P&P) for some simple designs which fascinate 5yos. We've also got a book on folding paper dinosaurs which includes some special papers which DH won't let her use.

We bought some origami squares today which were outrageously priced considering what they are but I am fed up with having to make A4 paper into squares I think it's time I invested in a guillotine.

[Hilary]

Sorry, I've just read some more of the thread.

We actually didn't buy anything for our children for Christmas as we knew they would be so overwhelmed with stuff from elsewhere. They are 3 and 1 and so too young to really know where things came from anyway. Unwanted things I just give to a charity shop or donate them to the children's box at church.

[Hilary]

Hear hear to all those of you who said their children played with sellotape and the like all day - my two are exactly the same. They do play with toys as well but make a bee line for sellotape, wires, real tools, wool, cooking equipment, cardboard boxes etc and play with them for hours (the ones I allow them to have anyway) I even bought a length of rope for them and cut two shortish bits off it for them to play firemen with 'hoses' - a great success, they have been fascinated for hours.