It is that time of year when we start thinking about Christmas and toys and STUFF. Living in a small house – 2000 square feet for 5 of us – we are very picky about what comes through the door.
I have some questions I ask myself as we figure out what toys to purchase or keep or donate. Like:
Do we have space to store this toy? If we don’t have space, what can we remove to make space? And is it worth making that adjustment?
I should be clear that we are not buying any more storage solutions, sending boxes of toys to the attic, or rotating toys. Anything we have has to be able to be stored in our existing space. We can’t make more space at this point and all the closets are COMPLETELY full. And under beds. And everywhere.
Does this work with other toys we already have?
If it’s another LEGO set for example, I know we will use it. If it is a one-off toy that doesn’t work with anything else that can be trickier to bring into the house.
Can multiple kids play with this toy for multiple years?
I know that not all toys are safe for a baby but I want toys that last between phases. We honestly didn’t take out most of our baby toys this time around so I might donate them – she loves the Little People and monster trucks and any big toys her siblings have!
So now that you know my “background” for toys, here are the types of toys that are worth keeping in our house and we have continued to purchase!
Legos
Legos are one of the MOST played with items in my house. My 2 older kids will play with them for hours – ESPECIALLY my son. He would play with LEGOS for an entire day. And he has! They love building, breaking things apart, rebuilding, and playing together. The things they create are so fun to watch. They are so creative and the possibilities are truly endless!
Real LEGOs have become very expensive because there is a huge resale market. The cheapest options are on sale at places like Target or Wal-Mart, or direct from a LEGO store. Places like eBay are going to be marked up in most instances! Also, don’t buy the knock offs – they don’t fit with real LEGOs. We’ve learned that the hard way.
I don’t want to come across as judgmental but it really does surprise me how few families I know with LEGOS. Yes they are messy. Yes they are expensive. But they are one of the best things for creative free play out there. You cannot beat them with a screen!
Here are some articles talking about why LEGOs are great for kids if you don’t believe me 🙂
- 10 Benefits of Playing with Legos – Children’s Development Center, UK
- Building a flexible and creative mindset – University of Arizona
- Building Brighter Futures: The Benefits of LEGO Play – Austin Hatcher Foundation
Magnatiles
Another classic that my kids still play with is our Magnatiles. They have so many starter packs and so many expansions. You can build the coolest towers and buildings and then put a bunch of other toys (like trucks, trains, Little People) inside. They are great for so many ages and are a hit with most kids!
They are pricey so it could make a good grandparent gift if you want something more substantial. This is a great starter set!
NOTE – I am loyal to real Magnatiles despite them being more expensive because I have seen the different quality with the knockoffs. They break easily AND THE MAGNETS COME OUT!!! DANGER for little kids. We have used our Magnatiles daily for years, smashed them, thrown them, and not a single one has cracked. So please beware of the cheaper versions.
Little People, Trucks/Cars
Our Little People toys have stood the test of time and are still used daily in our playroom. My 19 month old LOVES them and the big kids love to make Magnatile castles or houses for them. Anything with people, homes, dolls, creatures is a hit for us. They love to pretend and imagine and cars, trucks and dolls are the way to do that. We are really big into free play and the Little People can really go in any direction with imaginative play and honestly they are used with far older kids than I would have imagined. My in-laws have kept all their Little People houses, planes, and cars from 4 decades ago and the kids all play with them every time we are over there.
If I had to recommend some favorites it would be this farm, this nativity, this bus and this plane.
Books
This might be obvious but we are major readers over here, and we love love love children’s books. We don’t buy books most of the time because we love the library (and we get 40 books at a time) but some of our favorite things in our home are books. Series like The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh for little kids, The Little House on the Prairie for 4+ (reading aloud), anything from the Landmark History collection for elementary and up – all these would be fabulous gifts.
Coloring
We LOVE a good coloring book and we go through them fast! New crayons, markers, or colored pencils are a gift that cannot go wrong. Plus they are great to have at restaurants or on trips. Everyone loves a fresh new coloring book!
I hope this list helps as you are thinking about toy shopping for this Christmas season. I’ve seen a lot of flashy toys and “top toys” but honestly I think the tried and true ones are the best to invest in. Of course it’s fun to have something shiny and battery operated but we all know that we will get sick of that after about two seconds. And the kids will too 🙂 Having toys where they can create, dream, play, work out disagreements, work together, and have FUN is my goal.
Please let me know if there are toys your family loves that I should check out as I’m working on my Christmas list! More Christmas content is around the corner y’all – trying to be helpful as we come up to this marathon time of year.
