My five favorite toys for young kids
Does your minimalist heart break the tiniest bit whenever your kids get a new toy from a well-meaning relative? When you know that in two months you’ll have to sneak that little toy off to Goodwill when your kids aren’t looking, because although they haven’t touched it since they got it, it becomes their prized possession as soon as they see it in the giveaway bin. Or worse, it’s cheap plastic body breaks almost immediately. MY HEART BREAKS EVERY TIME.
Okay maybe I’m being dramatic, but as someone who harbors deep fantasies of retiring to a tiny house with only my most beloved material possessions, the onslaught of toys and throwaway plastic has been an unsavory aspect of motherhood that I hadn’t anticipated. I thought I’d have more control over what lives inside my home. (To be clear, I am grateful to have people in our lives who love my children enough to gift them with toys… YET these feelings remain and I believe they are commonly held among parents)
That said, now that my kids are school-aged, I’ve come to appreciate the toys that have endured and are still residents of our home. So here are five of my favorite toys for young children that have been in heavy rotation at our house for the past six years.
Magnatiles
I keep them in a large basket within the kids’ reach, and every few months they go through a 2-3 week period of playing with these every day. These are fairly easy to clean up, sturdy enough to endure being stomped by toddler feet, have given my youngest plenty of laughs whenever he gets to destroy a magna-tower, and gives my engineering-minded daughter challenging exercises in creating sound structures.
Legos
We’ve recently graduated from the big legos to the small ones as the kids gain more control over their motor skills. I have a couple of bins of legos scattered around the house and much like the magnatiles, when the kids re-discover them they’ll get used daily for 2-3 weeks. I love knowing that a classic toy like this can be passed along to the next kid (which is how we received ours!) and won’t end up in the trash.
Costumes
We have a treasure chest filled with costumes that gets ransacked nearly every time friends come to play. Perfect for pretend, dance parties, washing away the winter blues, last-minute Halloween festivities.
Musical Instruments
I’ve been slowly collecting random musical instruments over the years. I grew up playing classical piano, guitar and trombone, and music has played a huge role in my life and my identity. I want to share that with my kids, so I allow them to use all of the above, but I’ve also collected several inexpensive second-hand and toy instruments that they can use without me worrying about something breaking. I keep them all within arm’s reach, and it’s not uncommon for each of us to grab an instrument and jam together (we sound awful, don’t come over). The most used instruments: the piano, the harmonica and a set of used kid drums.
Sensory Bins
I’m always amazed by how many hours (yes, HOURS) my kids will play with a sensory bin. Whenever I need to do something that’s going to take some time and I want them to be entertained, I bust out one of these and am practically guaranteed an hour of peace. The best part is that these are pretty cheap, easy to assemble and store. The most loved bins at our house: beans, kinetic sand and water (save the last one for warmer months). Throw in some scoops, cups, little plastic toys and you’re all set. Related and just as well-loved but not technically a sensory bin: play doh.
