Toys etc. Don't bother with.....

[Boco]

Magic Sand.

It's really stupid.

We got a box for dd1s birthday - inside were several packets of coloured sand. On the box are amazing underwater sculptures.

The reality - piles of damp sand and water everywhere, a small flood under the table, damp sleeves, piles of glowing sand. A bowl full of luminous heaps. There were no tools included - no clue as to how to make the amazing structures.

There is 5 minutes of amazement at how the sand is kind of pliable in the water, then dry when you get it out, but when that dies down, its a pain in the arse.

Anyone else got any tips on things not to bother with?

Slush maker from Rady Steady Cook range.

A blunt plastic balde & 5yo are not going to be able to crush ice.

And the smoothie maker from Ready Steady Cook too! - the blades wouldn't chop the fruit, it just moved them around very slowly. Gah!

Those stockings that you fill with sawdust and grass seed to make a funny and vey scary looking head out of which grass hair grows.

Made a bloody mess everywhere, the grass didn't grow, the glue provided did not work and I was constantly having to re-stick eyes and noses to the thing.

And it looked shite.

Boco - I think we can rule out anything from RSC range!

Scooby Doo cookie maker contraption. Disgusting slime oozed out of flimsy hole, biscuit stampers didn't make any impression on the resulting patties and I threw the whole lot away.

Oh and we were also given a make your own sweetie dispenser kit, full of plywood bits which didn't fit together at all.

Agree about magic sand - all the colours get mixed up after the first outing (tip: line a colander with kitchen paper and tip the wet sand into it to drain dry)

We made our own grass heads for a few pence and they were brilliant. here

sorry , meant to add - jigsaw books. The pieces fall out as soon as you move it. waste of tiem.

I suppose they're worried about the publicity of little fingers getting sliced off, but what on earth is the point of making a product that doesn't actually work!

Should be re-named 'Ready Steady Oh No Hold On Wait...No, Sorry Kids, It's Not Chopping the Fruit, Umm Oh Dear, I'll Have To Scrape It All Out And We'll Use The Blender, I KNOW It's Not The Same But It's Not My Fault It's A Piece Of Crap Toy!'

Aquadraw.

Yes mess-free but over-priced, quickly stained and DS became quickly bored.

Agree ont he jigsaw books - waste of time!

Aquadraw free alternative - a jar of water and a paintbrush on a concrete step.

Absolutely!

Yes to jigsaw books, but the aquadraw mine both love - its on its DD had it for her 2nd birthday (now 4) and its still played with a lot

we have a Thomas jigsaw book and we just turn it from back to front and it works okay without the pieces coming out..

We had waterproof crayons for the bath - crap.

ohh thanks for that noodle, was thinking about getting those for ds (but then, dont really want to teach him its okay to colour anywhere but on paper!)

Elefun

elephant contraption with huge trunk, air billows up and blows 'butterflies' about and you catch then in a net

reality: small, cross children who can't wield the net and it spits the butterfiles out in 15 seconds

takes you 2 mins to collec them, repeat

we gave ours away

aquadraw fab

always used in this house

full of felt tip marks though

we got some bath crayons for a gift which didnt work at all - i read the box and it said ' work best when used on a dry surface' eh????

we've got crayola bath crayons and think they are great

Got ds the robraptor.. weaste of money.

waterproof crayons have gone down a storm in this house.

However as much as ds loves them they are mostly appreciated by lodger and dp

Noddy has been found with a variety of moustaches and injuries on his face and in several positions having apparently written messages on the bath/sink etc.

I wish they had warned me about it all before the plumber came round.

Oh, ds and all his friends love Elefun. Don't think they particularly care about missing most of the butterflies, they just think trying to catch them is great. (Ages three to four)

Magic Maize.

why use a water soluble dye on something designedto be rubbed on a wet sponge? Why use a watersoluble dye that comes off the damp maize onto your child and then doesn't wash off??

Armadillo had a vision of your dp and lodger in the bath together giggling over the crayons.

My dds love elefun so far - lots of shrieking and leaping.

Another vote for the Scooby Doo crap cookie maker. If you want the experience, throw cornflakes around your kitchen, stamp on some of them, add jam/syrup and try to wash up fiddly bits of plastic. Bah!

the bath crayons are a hit in our house.