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JaysFamily
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| Posted: May 29 2012 at 12:04pm | IP Logged
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What brands or types of toys do you view as "healthy" toys for your children to play with? Which ones drive you crazy? Do you have a toy philosophy in your home, or are you fairly open to letting them choose what toys they own and use?
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Jaysfamily
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mother to DS(5)
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JaysFamily
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| Posted: May 29 2012 at 12:26pm | IP Logged
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So far our favorites are Legos, building blocks (including marble runs), the Thomas wooden railway sets, a toy bow and suction arrow set, ping-pong catapult, and magnifying glasses for inspecting bugs.
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Jaysfamily
wife to Jay
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LucyP
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| Posted: May 29 2012 at 12:30pm | IP Logged
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I personally do not like battery-operated toys or ones which make noise (not instruments but just cars that blare sirens, dolls that cry etc), involve screens or are based on TV/film characters. I remove the speaking gadget from the build-a-bear toys my one sister buys the kids, and when toys they are given run out of batteries, we don't supply more. But mostly they play with home made toys or each other, and the closed/dead-end type of toys that seem so exciting in the shop or at so-and-so's house just end up on the shelf and getting relocated to the charity shop.
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Booksnbabes
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| Posted: May 29 2012 at 2:02pm | IP Logged
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We have far more toys than I'd like, but most are simple. The ones that get the most use around here are cardboard boxes, blankets or sheets with clothespins and chairs (for building forts, etc.), building blocks, legos, playmobil, our wooden kitchen set and the food and dishes that accompany it, binoculars, magnifying glasses, dolls, bubbles, electric circuit kit, outdoor toys like balls and bats and badminton, dress up clothes and playsilks, and measuring tapes (the fabric ones like you find in sewing kits). Some that get less use, but still I haven't the heart to rehome are animal figures, toy cars, and stuffed animals--I have a soft spot for stuffed animals I need to callous. 
We have a lot more than that, I just haven't tackled the chore of weeding through them and getting rid of them. With a range of ages, I haven't been able to justify eliminating too much since the purging done in our last move. Seems like there is always one coming up who will love the item in question!
We are similar to LucyP in that we prefer no batteries or noise or tv/film characters. Those make it into the house thanks to relatives, but they quietly disappear or we let the relative who gave it keep as a special "treat" for when we visit their house. We also try to eliminate toys that are single-purpose or that we have multiple of (we don't need four stuffed animal pandas). And for some reason I have a real aversion to largish brightly-colored plastic objects (even the larger legos and mega-blocks kind of bother me), so I try to keep those to a minimum.
Instead of toys we tend to ask for games, puzzles, etc. Or books. Or science kits.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: May 29 2012 at 6:22pm | IP Logged
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Nothing that makes noise. Can. Not. Handle. It. I have philosophical issues with toys that make noise, but mostly, they just drive me crazy. They make enough noise as it is.
One philosophy that has served me fairly well is an attempt at limiting categories of toys. So, if someone wants to buy the boys a toy, I will most often suggest something in the same category that we already have (playmobile, lego, duplo, puzzle, etc...). Then, once the newness wears off, it just enters the collective with all the other of its category and doesn't result in the overwhelming feeling of "another toy" as something entirely different would. And it already has a home.
And, while we have a couple of lego Star Wars things, for the most part, I don't allow commercial characters. I'm pretty strict about the kinds of plastic things, too. I mean, lego, playmobile, duplo, etc... are all necessarily plastic, but I don't like having random plastic junk around. I also relegate those plastic things to the toy room but have the wooden train set and some wooden baby toys in the living spaces, mostly because a mess of nice wooden toys doesn't offend my aesthetic like a mess of plastic ones, and it helps me cope 
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Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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JamieCarin
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| Posted: May 30 2012 at 8:56pm | IP Logged
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Ideally we like wooden or more natural toys. In reality this has not worked out too well!! But we love Plan Toys, Holztiger, Thomas wooden railway.
In reality what is played with most is THOMAS THOMAS THOMAS THOMAS! We also like Playmobil, dress up, puzzles, and stuffed animals.
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: May 31 2012 at 8:31am | IP Logged
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We too are "as much as natural as possible" and NO BATTERIES or buttons or noises. Even my son has decided it's just not worth it. He still gets attracted to them at the store, but he's so busy with his other play and work that he quickly forgets.
For the most part, my son has a good deal of say in what he gets; but he is also starting to purchase his own items and he recognizes the limited space we have. He also has desires that can't be fulfilled with toys (he wants to have a large yard for a sandbox and a garden; and extra property so we can have animals - that sort of thing). He always asks for art kits, science kits, wood-building kits and the like - something where he can DO something and utilizes real skills.
Like others, I also don't do cartoony characters, so Thomas is out. However, I was fortunate to find an off-brand train set one year for a Christmas gift for my son one year - basic colors and shapes on the magnetic train cars; wooden cut out shapes of houses, buildings, people, animals - and a few plastic signs. Then our local Once Upon a Child had drawers of different filler trains pieces that were also off-brand.
We have the cars, one set of wooden building blocks, Legos (some Star Wars stuff is mixed in there because most of the pieces came from a family with two boys I used to babysit when they were younger), small toy animals - and lots of games and puzzles!
We also have some balls and jump ropes, a yo-yo, stuffed animals (gotta love 'em!)....
and really that's it. He turns everything else into imaginative play (pillows and blankets and a tall stool are currently a "barricade" in his bedroom door); he loves reading and digging in soil to grow plants; collects sticks for "weapons".
I do not allow guns here, but he can play with them elsewhere. He reads books like Redwall and stories of the knights, watches Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, so there is not much exposure to guns - it's more swords or sword-like weapons that require a bit more... *skill*.
But we also have wood-building kits from time to time and various science kits and experiments going on. These all use "non-toy" items.
And we can't forget how much he likes to concoct things in the kitchen. ;)
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Marcia
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| Posted: May 31 2012 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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I'm another no batteries mom. Although I caved when my boy got some remote control cars from a priest one year. Otherwise little to no batteries....come to think of it that same priest gave the kids a map game with a pointer that requires batteries...some kind of leap pad thing. I really must talk to him about non battery toys! LOL
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: May 31 2012 at 9:49am | IP Logged
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I used to be very strict about no plastic, no noise, no characters, but I've loosened up quite a bit. I've come to see that my kids gravitate towards the blocks, dolls, cars, and other toys that I prefer. So, I just clear out the toys a few times a year and most of those annoying toys are easily donated to a charity. By allowing them to have those "flashy" toys they were able to learn that they weren't anything special (so they didn't find them alluring because they were off limits, does that make sense?). I also don't replace batteries in a lot of toys that really don't need to make noise in the fist place.
I think my attitude helps them not attach too much importance to characters. I'm always pointing out that such-n-such is more expensive just because it has a picture of *insert character* on it, but this one over here is the same thing, is cheaper, works the same, etc. I also point out things in the store that we've seen commercials for and how different they are form what was advertised. It's a great learning experience so that they are not easily influenced by what they see in ads. (My oldest is always saying, "That commercial is just trying to sell you something you don't need.")
We do really like our big plastic kitchen that was a hand-me-down. All the kids love it!
I also steer relatives to gifts I prefer when they ask for ideas - books, art supplies, balls, building toys, multi-age toys, games, etc.
Just my own conclusions based on my family's experience.  Now, for the teething stages, I really keep an eye on what's being put in the mouth. I don't like them chewing on the plastic stuff.
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: May 31 2012 at 9:55am | IP Logged
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Marcia wrote:
I'm another no batteries mom. Although I caved when my boy got some remote control cars from a priest one year. Otherwise little to no batteries....come to think of it that same priest gave the kids a map game with a pointer that requires batteries...some kind of leap pad thing. I really must talk to him about non battery toys! LOL
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We have the Tag Reader by LeapFrog and we really like this toy. I know some families prefer no electronics, but this toys has been a huge help with my son learning to read. And the map game is really fun and we play it as a family. I was very hesitant about using electronics for teaching/games, but I am very happy with this purchase.
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Lara
DD 11, DS 8, DS 6, DS 4
St. Francis de Sales Homeschool
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Let's talk toys
