Plum My First Playcentre or Mamas and Papas Vespa

[scattykatty]

I would like to get the DS something for the garden for the summer (he's 17 months), does anyone have either the Plum, My first playcentre www.elc.co.uk/toy/my-first-playcentre or the Mamas and Papas ride on vespa www.mamasandpapas.co.uk/product-vespa-red/5471816/type-i

All thoughts would be appriciated

I would get the vespa. The slide on the playcentre looks quite small and I think it would be outgrown by the age of 2-3.

I agree that the slide does look very small, we already have a little baby slide in the garden so I'm not sure if having 2 tiny slides on 1 garden would be a good idea! I do like the rock climbing bit though....

I wouldn't waste my money on either of those toys! Both ELC and mothercare toys are bad quality, with lots of parts to break off. I'd get one of these and put the rest of the money in a savings account. My DS has loved his from 8 months and it still gets played with every day. He pushes it, gets pushed on it, uses his feet to push himself along, uses it to hide little treasures in, feeds Thomas etc. He's nearly 2.5 and I'm amazed how one cheap toy can occupy so much time!

I would get this or this DS has the police one and it's very good. He got it for his 1st birthday and still uses it now he's 3.

Wow those are both expensive toys!

Not convinced myself of the usefulness of motorised cars and scooters for small children.

Agree a ride on might be better, or a mini trampolie is good for balance, hopping, jumping etc. One of those ones with a handle.

Not many toys are useful though - they're for having fun with and most children do have a lot of fun with the motorised ones. My DS is a bit of a thrill seeker and presses the pedal right down so he can go as fast as possible. It's also a bonus that you can get home from the park much quicker than with a normal one and they don't get tired using it so you don't end up having to carry it.

I think lots of toys are useful.

A trampoline will develop jumping an dhopping skills; a ball wil develop balance and hand-eye co-ordination; a scooter will develop balance and give some exercise; Lego and playmobil are good for fine motor and developing imagination... etc etc.

Not that use is the only thing to look for, of course.

Ah I see, I've never really thought about it like that. I just go for toys which look fun and if they do something useful at the same time then it's an added bonus.

Well I'm embarrased to say that he already has a little trampoline and a ride on Thomas the Tank engine that goes around on a track this one Oh and one of those hexangonal TP sandpits.... In my/his defence he is the 1st and I just can't help it

If you can strethch from £225 to £350 then I would seriously get this, the slide is a good height, will last for ages and my kids love having their own den/house

Seriously worth it.

They do it wwithout the slide too for 278

and without the 'varenda' for £209,

but id go the whole hog & get the£3350 one

That company are fab too, super fast delivery x

£350, not £3350!! lol

wow that is lovely, nearly had a heart attack when I read £3350 though! The chances of DH agreeing to that are about the same as me deciding to copy that Belgian girl and get my entire face covered in star tattoos

Disenchanted I've been thinking about getting a house like that. Do you get lots of spiders in it though?

How about a swing or a rocker DS has got a plastic dinosaur which is a bit like a see saw for toddlers and can be used by between 1-3 children. I don't know where you can get them from though as it was given to us.

He also loves this and this We put balls in them and he spends hours in there.

When I mow the lawn he loves joining in with his toy mower. We've got this one and it's fab. Oh and he loves pushing his pushchair around and we take it for a walk up the road. He has this one.

He's also had hours of fun with his bubble machine. I would get one that you can plug into the mains though as they eat batteries like there's no tomorrow.

I think this and this look really fun too.

Or how about a paddling pool? DS has one similar to this and this or you could go for something you could all go in like this