Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Works For Me Wednesday - Toys Worth Buying

I haven't done a Works for Me Wednesday in a long time - but the subtopic was interesting so I thought I'd go ahead.

In our family, the best toys are toys that can be used more than one way like:

Legos - I found a huge Rubbermaid container filled with Legos at a thrift store probably at least 3 yrs ago. The kids were not all that interested in Legos then (ages 6 & 3) - so I sold some and kept a lot.

Playmobil - my ds has been in love with Playmobil for a couple of years. He loves all the little accessories and actually both kids just love putting the pieces together when they first arrive. My dd has a dollhouse her dad made for her for her Playmobil dollhouse furniture. I also like Playmobil. I could totally get into collecting it. I bought myself the Playmobil dollhouse laundry room, a log cabin and an old man in a wheelchair - just b/c "I" liked them so much. Course the kids have mixed them all in with their sets - but they are still MINE :)

Lincoln Logs - fun to see as the kids get older, how much more complicated their creations become.

Wooden building blocks - We have a couple different wooden building sets other than Lincoln Logs and this is one of my favorite sets. It's just a small set, it comes from Germany and some of the pieces have architectural details on them. It comes in a small wooden box with a sliding lid. The blocks cost $20 - found them at Tuesday Morning.


Dolls - I don't mean a houseful of them - actually a little girl really only needs one - though try telling that to any little girl. One of my daughter's favorite dolls is one she received when she was only about a yr old. Just like children, when dolls look scruffy, dirty, and even lose their hair - they are still much loved. I have fond memories of playing dolls with my sisters (I had 4 sisters)...I remember being out at Nixon Lake in the summer...one particular day stands out in mind - it was raining and we were in the cabin making food for our dolls...another time washing doll clothes and hanging them on the clothesline.

My daughter has not been crazy about dolls like I remember being. I got my last one when I was 12 - my sisters probably thought I was too old. The day of or day after Christmas, my doll's head fell off :( My dad fixed it with some wire and I held onto that doll until I was married. I think I may still have her in my trunk. She was the unfortunate victim of my daughter and an inkpen).

Guns/weapons - toys of course - but with a boy that alternately pretends he is a British Soldier or British Commander, a D-Day Soldier, a Bowsman, or a Lightsabre Fighter - he wouldn't be happy without all his weapons. I never know who he'll be from one hour to the next. I know some families are against toy guns/weapons - and that is how my dh grew up, but it's not an issue for us. Course there are rules like you don't aim the toy gun at an adult...and some of the weaponry is for outside only.

Books - they are anything but toys but they "entertain" kids for hours on end, encourage thinking and imagination and can be great fun.

These are toys that encourage imaginative play and creativity. These are also toys that can drive a mother crazy with all the little blocks, body parts and pieces that end up all over the place, including under a barefoot...ouch!

For more favorite toys check out Rocks in My Dryer.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so with you on the toys that encourage imagination thing! Those are really the best and kids can go for hours with that ... it also encourages them to play TOGETHER, good added bonus!

Heather said...

Oh those are some of our favorites! (Though we have never done Playmobil--too expensive and I have yet to find them at the thrift shop.:)) Our recent favorite are SnapCircuits which my son got for his birthday. They are awesome.

CanadianGrandma said...

Whenever I got a book for Christmas it was greatly treasured. I still LOVE to read. I,to this day,will pick up a doll that looks cute! It brings back many pleasant memories!

Brian said...

Those blocks are SUPER cool! I hardly ever go to Tuesday Morning. I didn't even realize they had toys till just a few weeks ago; Mel and I stopped in to shop for birthday present.