Chances are, you own too many toys. If you’re just starting out, you can be smart before you start amassing your collection. Take this advice before your toy closet is overflowing!
If I had to redo some part of motherhood, I’d redo the toys. Perhaps I’d need to negotiate with the kids on the exact number, but I really think they don’t need most of the toys they own. Did you ever notice that most toys aren’t actually played with; they’re just “taken out” and then they all need to be cleaned up. Perhaps 10% of the toys we own are actually played with.
We always think that more toys will keep kids busy, but the opposite is true. They actually play more if they have fewer toys, but with toys they actually like.
Most kids play with actual toys only until age 9-10. After that, they prefer more puzzles, board games, crafts, and specialty toys that become a hobby (such as Legos). There’s also the active/outdoor type of toys that get a lot of use, like sporting goods (the classic basketball hoop), jump ropes, and scooters, but these items are not typically kept in a toy closet.
But you still need to get to that point! So, this is a short list of the toys that will actually get the most use! Yes, we know it’s a very short list, but it’s really all you need. Trust the moms with experience. Once you have these, it’s better to build on what you have vs. filling up the toy closet with more variety.
Everything else? It’s mostly gimmicky. Other toys might be fun when they bring them home from the store, but they won’t play with them long term. For example, they might take out that box of puppets once in a while and play, but the infrequent use doesn’t justify the space these types of toys take up.
** It’s best to only invest in one or two types of building toys that you can keep adding onto. Building toys are more fun when you can do more with them! The more pieces, the more colors, the better. It’s not as functional to have small sets of different types of building toys. Magnatiles and Clics are the most popular. (Note that not all brands of magnetic tiles are compatible). Clics has two volumes of an “Idea Book” (available at Judaica and local toy stores) which makes building with them even more fun.
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