I had this vision to do a post about all of my favorite toys the kids have had. I thought I would do it back in November, yet here it is less than 2 weeks from Christmas and I still haven't done it. So, though most of you are probably finished shopping, here are a few more thoughts for your little ones. If you are done this year, maybe you can hold on to them for next year.
There are so many toys we have bought the kids that they don't play with. Then, there are those few that every child has found much joy with. The ones I am showing can pretty much all be found at Walmart or Target. Here are some of my favorites:
This s a fisher price car racer. This one was bought back when Landen was a toddler and I know they are new and improved, but all 3 of my kids have enjoyed watching the cars race down the ramp time and time again.
Aquadoodle. I bought this for Hayden a couple of years ago and he and Jordyn both seem to love it. It is especially good for toddlers since they enjoy drawing on everything but paper. There are tons of different designs and types now... we have the "Farmer in the Dell" version which plays the song as they are drawing and makes animal sounds.
I'm still trying to figure out little girl toys, but Jordyn plays with her umbrella stroller constantly. She loves to push anything and everything in it and has played with it for almost a year straight.
Yoho Diablo. This was bought by my brothers family for Landen last year. It is definitely for an older child (Landen was 8, but he is pretty persistent at things like this and will work until he gets it.) Some 8 year olds may get frustrated. If your child loves some good yo yo tricks (walking the dog, around the world, rock the baby, etc.) he/she would love this.
Star Wars light sabers! If they love Star Wars, they'll love these. The boys have 5 of them floating around the house, some are more expensive with lights and sounds and some are the $10 version without the bells and whistles. They dress up and play Star Wars a lot. Surprisingly, they hold up fairly well and my kids have given them a good beating.
Jordyn helped model this one. Guitar Hero. The boys have played and played this and I love that it is peaking their interest in music. Again, it's for the older, more coordinated kids. Hayden has mastered it on the easy level and medium level where Landen is working on the hardest level. It does, however feature rock songs which some of you may not want your kids exposed to and I don't like what the "rockers" are wearing in some of the songs. Other than that, it's a lot of fun for all ages. Yes, even mom and dad (I'm terrible at it, though!)
Nintendo DS. These, along with i-pods, have been life savers in the car on long trips. The kids (lots of fun when cousins come too) can link up and play each other.
Magtastik. These are similar to magnetix, which I know some have been recalled for children swallowing. However, these are extremely large and not able to go in a toddlers mouth. They are loads of fun and have provided a lot of entertainment for Hayden and Jordyn. I wish I had more. Landen enjoys the smaller (more dangerous) magnetix. They were exclusively at Target when I bought them, but I have no idea if they sell them anymore.
Only a few more... are you bored?
Shake N' Go Cars/Track. I don't have the track pictured because it's not put together right now, but I highly recommend this toy! The track assembles easily (even with number guides on the bottom) and little kids can shake the cars to make them go. Several children can play at a time if you have several cars with it. It was fairly inexpensive when I bought it and has been well worth the money. I bought Jordyn a pink shake n go car for Christmas, she loves to play on it too.
There are both boy and girl sets of these and different sports. The boys have had fun setting up the figurines and making "plays" on the cloth football field. I know there are soccer ones in boy and girl. I'm not sure what else is available. Again, this is more for a 6 and up crowd, probably. I don't usually go by the recommended age on the box :-)
Kid Laptops. Again, fun for all 3 of my kids. Landen plays the games, though he is getting a little too old for this toy. Hayden loves it and Jordyn just likes to push the buttons and listen to it make sounds. It really is a "teaching" tool and fun at the same time. Again, there's all different versions of these.
The last one isn't a toy, but one of my favorite things. So, for the few men that read this... it's an idea for your wife. :-) You can buy them in many jewelry stores, or order them online which is how I got mine. If you have more children, you can add on a strand as needed. I had to do this after I had Jordyn. I really love it and wear it often.
So, there ya go. Those are my thoughts on Christmas presents. I would love to hear about your favorite toy!
