As a mom of three small boys, we have gone through a lot of toys
in the past five years. Because we have a large extended family
who buys our kids presents for birthdays and Christmas, our boys
have had the opportunity to try out a lot of neat toys.
Of course
they have played with some toys more than others, and some toys
cost enough that you would like to know if your child would like
them before you buy them so they don’t end up stuck in a box in a
corner somewhere.
Our youngest son is almost two years old, and he and our two
older boys have played with these toys since around their first
birthday. These toys have so far stood the test of time, and have
been loved by all. These gift ideas would be great for girls
too, most are not gender specific toys.
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learning Letters Mailbox
A toy that my youngest son received for his first birthday is the
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Letters Mailbox. This toy is
appropriate for both boys and girls, and is recommended for ages
6 months to 3 years. It is a mailbox that opens and closes. It
comes with several “letters” and a small package that your child
can place in the mailbox. There is a slot in the top of the
mailbox to put letters in, and a flag on the side that can go up
and down. The mailbox plays music when you open and close the box
and there are also several buttons that play music when your
child presses on them. My son absolutely loves this toy. He opens
and closes the door over and over again, and likes taking
the mail in and out, in and out. This toy is definitely a winner
in our book!
Little Tikes Discover Sounds Toolbox
The next toy I’d like to share is the Little Tikes Discover
Sounds Toolbox. This is the only toy that is more aimed at boys
than girls. It is also for ages 6 months to 3 years. This is a
toy we purchased for our twin boys when they were about a year
old, and they have passed it down to their 1-yr-old brother. This
toy is one of the most played with toys we own. We have tried
several different shape sorters, but this one is by far their
favorite. It is a toolbox that opens and closes. When you open it
there is a tray in the middle that has different shaped holes to
put the plastic shapes through. What’s neat about it is that the
tray flips back and forth so you put the shapes through the holes
on one side, then flip the tray to the other side and do it
again. All of our boys have played and played with this, pushing
the shapes through and flipping it back and forth. They love it!
The toolbox plays music and lights up when you push the shapes
through. The toolbox closes up so that your child can carry it
around with him. There are many great shape sorters on the market
you can choose from for both boys and girls.
Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm
Another favorite toy is the Fisher-Price Little People Animal
Sounds Farm. This was a Christmas present that has also survived
the past five years. All of our children have played with it. It
is for ages 1 year to 4 years, but I think 1- to 2-year-old
children will play with it the most. (However, older children
can't resist when playing with younger siblings!) There are doors
that open and shut that make animal sounds when open and closed.
My 1-year-old really enjoys opening and closing the doors and
putting the animals in the barn. We have collected a variety ofother animals and tractors, etc., during the past couple of
years, and the older boys like playing with the barn along with
the tractors and other farm accessories. This toy was well worth
the money.
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Counting Friends Phone
We have tried out several toy phones during the past couple of
years, but the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Counting Friends
Phone is by far our boys’ favorite. This phone, like many others,
makes lots of different noises when you push the buttons. The
difference in this one is that there is a “phone book” at the top
of the phone that your child can use to change the sounds the
phone makes. This is their favorite part of the phone. The
recommended age for this toy is 1 to 3 years, but it’s more for
1- to 2-year-old’s. Our son was able to change the pages of the
phone book when he was 9 or 10 months old. When they are old
enough to push the buttons, they will enjoy listening to the
different animal sounds.
There are so many different toys for 1- and 2-year-old’s on the
market today that it is hard to decide which one to buy for a
child’s birthday or Christmas present. If you are buying for
someone else’s child it is even harder! Hopefully these ideas
will help you get started.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of
What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick
easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home
decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative
Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
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