Over the last 10 years I have worked in several schools and have seen many great toys that get played with over and over and many that do not. I am now a mom of two and can tell you from my personal experience which ones have worked for us (and many other families) and I hope you find this list helpful in your birthday/holiday/surprise closet shopping adventure!
Here we go!!!
Got a climber on your hands? You need these guys right here, they stack and they can go behind the couch or in your closet when not in use. Don't put them too far away, they get played with a LOT.
Tired of cleaning up at the playground after your kids fill those 1000's of water balloons? Same. We got these and we are never looking back. Easy to use for the kids, open and shut with magnetic inserts, they pop like real water balloons and then you just go pick them up and refill them! Boom. Summer is a hit with these.
I am all about saving space and this big guy right here is a mama's dream for a Central Park outing! It rolls up into a small target back and you can stick it under the stroller, it weighs less than 2lb and it doesn't need batteries! You swing it around a couple of times to get air in it and that's just when the fun begins! Our kids use this endlessly, we had one we got at a street fair about 5 years ago and we used it for 3 years before it finally ripped from a huge rock in Central Park. We now have this one and it honetly is a great toy for the kids, they jump on it, I pull them on it like a sled, we lay on it, we jump some more! It's a bouncy house couch kind of thing. Get it, keep it in your stroller when you go to the park. Every time we happen to go to the park spontaneously and I don't pack it, the kids are sad.
I will always have this in my stroller basket, I will always need to buy more. Never too old for some good ol' fashion chalk fun. Have an older kid? Do some math chalk, caligraphy writing, hopscotch! Young one-let them go wild with it!
I used to focus on getting the bubble containers, different sizes, the tube ones the little ones, the spillproof ones etc. Well one day my mother in law sent me this and I have never looked back to any other bubble solution! This is concentrated bubble solution so just keep whatever tube or container you had and use this with water to refill, these bubbles will fly for a long time!!
Tired of blowing bubbles or just want to join in on the bubble fun without being the bubbe maker? We have had this bubble machine for about 3 years and we love that it's rechargable and the battery lasts weeks!! Throw in the bubble solution listed above and you are good to go for a bubble party!
First time I saw these I was a teacher in a school on the UES and I fell in love, I didn't have kids at the time and every time we brought them out I played with them as much as the kids did. It's so fun to watch the paint move around and spread back out, it's a great experience. We now use them as a permanent toy in front of the toy bins and the toy kitchen, they stand on it and play with other toys at the same time and it really outlines the "kids area" really nicely!
If you have a child who doesn't enjoy bath time then these are your new *pals*, literally! They come in so many different colors and are easy to use for any age. They are water activated and to turn then off either take them out of the water or give them a shake to get the water off the little metal sensor inside. We love our Big Bird and Cookie Monster Pals! They last about one month from the time you start using them, depending on how often you use them! We use them every day, several times a day in the sink and ours are still going strong at a month and a half.
We have had this since it first appeared on the market years ago and it's still a hit in our home. We have Eric Carle stories for our young one and adventure stories for our son. Anything that goes on a projector is instant fun for the kids, and it's pocket friendly! Going on a trip? Take it. Staying home? Use it!
Yellow Duck Automatic Soap Dispenser (kids bathroom)
Our 19 month old loves soap, she asks us to pump the foam soap into her hand non stop, we are talking hours of pumping soap. Her little fingers are not strong enough to pump her own so we did it up until we got this little gadget. She calls it "robot rubber ducky" and it's great for her hands and even better for mine! She just puts her hand under the ducky's beak and a big foamy pump comes out, magic. Our almost 6 year old also loves it and thinks it's very useful.
Elf on the Shelf letters to Santa
Have an Elf on the Shelf and kids that want to write to Santa? Say no more. Get this kit that turns the letters into mini Elf letters that go on like a satchel for your Elf and he/she carries them to the North Pole when the kids are asleep and brings the letters back the next day with check marks on them from Santa!!! (so the kids know Santa got the letter) And then hang it in your tree every year as a keep sake ornament. Don't forget to put the letter on the Elf so he can take it to the North Pole!!!
You probably have already seen them and have played with them at a friend's home. It's time to get them in your home, make sure you get this brand, there are other companies that make look alikes and they break easily. We have 3 sets in our home and we love building tall building and knocking them over, we have yet to break a piece and we have a LOT of playdates where we build with them.
Car ride, plane trip, going to grandmas' house and don't want to pack your big toys? We love the flexibility of taking our Polly Pockets with us and just putting them in the stroller for a restaurant night out or a car/plane trip. I think you will too!
We can go ahead and call this the UES kitchen, I have seen it so many times in so many homes and on the buy nothing group of the UES. It is sturdy enough to be passed down to many families after yours is done with it. Great quality and offers hours of entertainment for your kids!
Have a musician on your hand? This guitar comes with a free app that tunes your guitar AND teaches your kiddo how to play it based on the sounds of the strings it detects. It's pretty cool and we loved ours and used it with the app for at least a year! Our son made his own music and really perfected his fine motor skills.
Bedroom
We don't have regular carpets or rugs anymore, all we have is Ruggish throughout the apartment. Hear me out, I know it's crazy. The "adult" side looks awesome and every time we have guests and they step on it, they look pleasantly surprised at the softness and comfort and always mention how modern they look. We previously had ruggable, the ones you can throw in the washer and drier. And yes the thought was amazing and we washed it often, every time there was a spill or an incident. But oh my gosh did we have a lot of accidents, haha. We love science and slime and glitter crafts just to give you a little insight. So I eventually got tired of pulling up the whole thing and washing it and waiting hours for it to dry. Now we have these guys, slime? Wipes off. Glitter? Wipes off. *Insert crazy craft/food item*-Wipes off! It's great, I'm not sure we will ever go back to adult rugs.
Board Games
We love Zingo and have had it since our son was 2 and a half. The age suggestion is 4 and up, but you can definitey play it earlier. It's easy and fun and will help children make connections between words and pictures as both are displayed on the little cards. Also great for fine motor skills as they need to slide the game back and forth to get new cards out.
There is also a Zingo for sight words here. We also love it.
Outfoxed
Candyland
Memory by Ravensburger
Shopping Card by Ravensburger
Eye Found It
I am updating this list every day, so please come back and see what other fun toys and crafts I have coming up for the Holiday Season or gifts for birthday parties and any occasion!
