Toys Toys Toys!

[Lou]

Hi

Now Isaac is 6 months old he needs some proper toys! He has a swing but its too small now, his bouncer is too small (he tipped forward out of it)! and all his toys, although colourful and ok, are not much fun when you see what he could have! If I look through the mothercare catalogue and think about getting a trekker, first steps walker, learn and groove activity station etc you are talking over £300!!!! And they aren't much cheaper on ebay!

I feel really guilty about his toys. I don't want to spoil him and I know we haven't got room for lots of big toys but I don't know what "basics" he needs now? and I would love to see his little face light up if he could jump up and down in a jumparoo or stand up and turn around in an activity station but Jarrod is old fashioned and thinks he will walk and jump without expensive plastic crap cluttering up the house!

Sorry to go on, I just really want to know what toys you have, what you recommend and what you think is a waste of time and money.

Look forward to your replies


Lou

 

[petchy]

i'm a big fan of the good old fashioned wooden toys! they are so nice and tactile to touch! planing to get ruben some wooden building blocks when he is old enough!

at my baby massage class they had made a treasure basket which was filled with things like: a piece of fine croche (sp), a wooden spoon, a piece of silk ribbon, a lavender bag, bells on a piece of cord... generally things that smell and feel different to stimulate their senses!

and for when ruben is old enough, i am saving up to get him a "wheely bug"! i can't make my mind up which one to get (they have ladybird, bee or cow) but at the moment i like the bee more! sorry i haven't got time to look for a pic but they look so good!

 

[Dee1985]

Car boots hun...
i wasnt a fan of them untill i had a baby i got a playnest for harl for £3 iv got loads of bargins.

so cheap to and good stuff i just take them home and wash them down

some of Diors fav toys are
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Product.aspx/b ... ity/494267
she loved it from when she was laying on her belly at 6months watching the balls come down, to 9months when she was sitting, till 12months when she was standing

 

[K X]

Hun I know what you mean, this is what we have just ordered Rebecca-well expensive but an investment as she can use it til 12mnth plus, maybe u should look at toys that will last for the forseeable future, the trekker mite be an investment.

http://www.mothercare.com/invt/lb7947&b ... ent612mths

She has the leapfrog learn and groove activity station at £79.99 well worth it, it's the only thing that keeps her quiet for 10mins!! I know these can go for a lot cheaper on ebay sometimes!

 

[K X]

Lou we r getting Rebecca this too--------

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/produ ... d=50284507

Value for money-lasts right up til she is walking etc. Cheaper in Woolworths than anywhere else mothercare, toys r us etc)...

 

[Lou]

cor that vtech walker is really cheap! I'm going to get one of them and I really want the learn and groove activity station. I do also love the old fashioned wooden toys. Isaac has 2 big wooden trains and stacking rings and another counting toy for when he is older but I've just been sucked in by the flashing lights and sounds toys on offer in the catalogues I guess lol

I just want whats best for him. Its not even really the expense its more the room they take up. And its rubbish how you feel guilty if you don't keep up with the latest toys. I didn't think all that would start till he wanted the latest games console! (He can have my old sega megadrive and like it)!

Thanks for your replies. Appreciated as always

 

[beanie]

and for when ruben is old enough, i am saving up to get him a "wheely bug"! i can't make my mind up which one to get (they have ladybird, bee or cow) but at the moment i like the bee more! sorry i haven't got time to look for a pic but they look so good!

Completely agree, we are getting Seren the cow one for her. I love them

 

[Lou]

wow where do you get them from?

 

[beanie]

Tthis has been the cheapest I have seen them

http://www.lullabys.co.uk/shop/erol.htm ... 26dm%3Dall

Getting Seren hers for her first birthday

 

[Lou]

They are expensive aren't they!?! Really lovely though. I'll have to have words with daddy about one of those

 

[Cat&Noah]

I have the learn and groove activitay station, and whist it was great from when Noah hit 4 months onwards, he has now learnt how to climb out of it head first!!!! So with Issac being 6 months already, you may only get a couple of months of use out of it.

Personally I have just sectioned off a lump of the lougne with a fold out play pen, so Noah can crawl around and do as he likes with assorted wobble toys, rattles, blocks and fabric books etc. Plus I got a great chair from Fisher Price called an infant to toddler rocker, designed to take them all the way up to the age of 3! and I well recomend it.

 

[Rosebay]

Charity shops, car boot sales and table top/jumble sales! People don't want a lot of these expensive toys cluttering up their houses and often can't be bothered to sell them on ebay. I got a walker that had only been bought in January for £60 for £15 from a table top sale at the weekend. Some scrubbing and anti-bac wipes later and bingo!

+++

 

[Kim]

I couldn't live without my activity station, I have the baby einstein one and it was by far my best investment

 

[hearts81]

Plus I got a great chair from Fisher Price called an infant to toddler rocker, designed to take them all the way up to the age of 3! and I well recomend it.

So you got the chair then?! Its great isn't it Reece has stopped using his now but will be able to use it again when he's older.

I got a little wooden cart with building blocks in from a charity shop for £1. Reece uses it to walk back and forth across the livingroom.

He's got this little table wihich he loves http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... 2Btoys.htm
I also got the Ball Popping thing (on same page) and got the cheese toy which I'm saving for his birthday.

Also cheap Stacking Cups can keep babies busy for hours

 

[futuremum]

I bought my jumperoo for £16 as i cannot afford expensive toys and to tell you the truth with ths cot bed in the living room, there is no room for the jumperoo so it is in the dining room lol You do not have to buy brand new and look in the newspaper for cheap excellent bargain!!! My jumperoo is as new and that was a real bargain I bought him so soft toys as well on e-bay. Iagree kids should not be spoiled but still i want him to have different toys

 

[Em78]

My dh & i were only saying the other day when we were buying a beach tent and a second playmat/gym to keep at mil's that we never had half this stuff. so many things we think are basic things we need now have only come about in the last 10/15 years. we all grew up just fine without them so dont worry that your little one is missing out. nothing beats rolling round on the floor with mummy anyway!

one thing i would def not be without is our little paddling pool in the shape of a boat. total bargin too!

http://www.elc.co.uk/toy-40433

alex loves to sit in it (in his bumbo or propped with cusions before he could sit!) and play with the steering wheel, or lie in it kicking the sides while playing with other toys. he loves to bath in it too - gets you wet though as the sides are not as high as a bath! was also fab for my niece and nephew who despite being nearly 4 and 2½ still managed to both sit in it!

x

 

[Lou]

Appreciate all your replies. I agree Em about us not having loads of toys like kids have now when we were little. I think thats kind of what Jarrod has been getting at.

BUT I do love that baby Einstein activity centre! Where do you get them from and how much are they? I might have to make that his one extravagant toy! lol Today we bought him a vtech toy from wooworths that lights up and talks (you know the sort) and he likes it but I really want him to stand up in one of the activity centre thingys.

Lou

 

[tracyM]

you can't beat cardboard boxes, pans, plastic bowls and wooden spoons . Our kids have all sorts of crap cluttering up the house, most rarely gets played with.

 

[Lou]

you can't beat cardboard boxes, pans, plastic bowls and wooden spoons . Our kids have all sorts of crap cluttering up the house, most rarely gets played with.

Thats so true! I used to baby sit my friends little boy and he used to sit on the kitchen floor and pull out all the pots and pans and, like you said, a few wooden spoons and he was well away. I'd forgotten about that

 

[Layla]

I brought this today for Coby, he is a bit young yet but i have had my eyw on it for ages!

I have had fun playing on it, hehe

http://www.mothercare.com/invt/lx0708&b ... vity12mths

xxx