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Generally speaking kids don't need fancy toys, a box provides hours of entertainment. But I do feel that a few standbys are
important to have around here.
Duplos or Legos
I am not the creative one in the family, when I had legos as a kid I just built what the directions said, maybe a few monior
modifications and that was it. Well my kids have awakened some major creativity! I hear 'please make a duck' or any other
animal and I try my best. So half the time it doesn't look any different than the person or robot they asked for last week,
but at least I tried, and if I am happy with my lame attempts then I certainly am proud of their masterpieces!
Another favorite request is a house or garage, well those I can handle, but I got tired of the same repetative houses. So
we branch out into some interesting shapes, new arcetecture. Course there is a some limits when dealing with duplos (blocks
only come in two sizes, squares and rectangles)
Joining my kids for Duplo play or Lego play really helps me help them share. I don't complain if they add to my house, even
if it isn't in my origional plan, and they are learning slowly to allow each other to do the same. (Though we do have some
periods of non coperative building.) Learning to work around a toddlers add ons is great practice for adaptation!
Lego homepage, no I don't like the other brands
Linking cubes
Linking cubes or any bulding tool can be used to make great graphs, I love to buld one and ask my kids which color has more
or less, or is shorter or taller. By using the building toys I take out the work of having to find a real thing to graph
(though at some point real graphs are important)
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Search around for the cheapest version. (Duplos can be subbed)
Old fashioned wooden blocks
I just spent 20 minutes with my family having a blast bulding ramps to send cars down. Then we discovered we owned a few
'pull back' cars, so of course we had to send them up the ramps, and see if we could make them jump (hint build 'bumpers'!)
My set came from a school so was way cheaper
Peg board
The first fun my kids had with a pegboard was putting the pegs on their fingers. Only works while small! Then they discovered
turning the board over made 'little trees' and occasionally they will actually stack them on the front. But clean up was
a great way to talk about colors 'Please grab that blue peg there' And later sorting 'Can we put all the red ones together?'
And now that my son is older we use the back as a 'geoboard' which is a fancy way of saying 'posts lined up like a graph
so you can stretch rubber bands over them.'
click here then type peg board in the search box on the left
Puzzles
Puzzles of all sorts are wonderful for children, not only can they learn motor skills, but also they learn about what they
are building.. I love the early puzzles with the big chunky knobs, and then we graduate to flat wodden puzzels then on the
board puzzles, and finally the jigsaw.
My favorite wooden ones are mostly made my 'lights camera interaction' My prefered board puzzles come in a set from Discovery
toys, the first 3 only have 4 pieces, then 6 then 9, a great way to get gradual practice, without spending a fourtune.
My kids first puzzle
click here then type progressive puzzles in the search box on the left
Books!
Books are ever so important! Board books for independant looking at an early age, childrens books for quiet reading time with
a parent, and most important and most often forgoten, books for mom or dad!
Many of my favorite childrens books came from Discovery toys.
'Ten in the bed'
'Baby signs board book set'
'ABC alphabet box'
'First concepts' books
'My first words trilingual set'
'Copy cats animal noises'
'Adventures in Grammer'
'Build a word' (compound words slide book)
Discovery Toys book collection (use the search box on the left of the DT page
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