I know how important it is to have toys in the house that grow with your toddler. Living under an avalanche of outgrown toys is no fun, and I'm a person who really likes to get the most out of everything we own. That means buying toys that not only engage toddlers, but keep them playing until age 4 or even beyond.
We have 6 children ranging in age from 1 to 13, so we've had plenty of time to find toys that do this. Some of our favorites are:
Rody Horse
The manufacturer says ages 3-5, but my tall 18-month-old could do it by himself after a few months of practice. As a bonus, my older kids like to debate each other on what kind of animal the Rody actually is (llama? rabbit? horse?) and I have to admit, I have no idea who to agree with.
Little Tikes Hide & Slide Climber
This slide has been in my boys' bedroom since my oldest son was a toddler, and it looks like new (except for the crayon Picasso on one side.) We keep ours indoors year-round, but this indoor/outdoor climber works well in the backyard, too.
We shopped around quite a bit, and this was the best slide out there. Most plastic slides are tiny and no fun at all, but this is taller than most and is still a ton of fun for kids as old as 4. Our older kids jump off the top or drape blankets over it to create some truly awesome forts.
We shopped around quite a bit, and this was the best slide out there. Most plastic slides are tiny and no fun at all, but this is taller than most and is still a ton of fun for kids as old as 4. Our older kids jump off the top or drape blankets over it to create some truly awesome forts.
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Home
This toy is awesome for 1- to 4-year-olds, although I caught my 6-year-old playing house with it the other day. The light switch and the buttons on the radio, playing peek-a-boo, and of course just crawling back and forth through the doorway are my kids' favorite features.
Cozy Coupe
If there's any toy more classic than the Cozy Coupe, I don't know what it is. We have two, and they've taken a beating from my kids. They play with them almost every day (including in ways they aren't supposed to, like crashing them together or riding on the roof.) Even my 18-month-old, who is too short to reach the ground, likes to sit in it even when no one is pushing him.
When my kids hit about 5, they're mostly too big to fit in the Cozy Coupe anymore: but that doesn't mean they stop trying. They Cozy Coupe has gotten a facelift since we bought ours, and you have the option now to get all kinds of specialty styles like police cars or convertibles or pickup trucks. I suspect the popemobile is next.
We've owned a few other walkers and this one just feels sturdier than others. Our toddlers enjoy tooling around pushing it or playing with the doo-dads on the front, but the best part is that when they outgrow the walker function it converts to a ride-on toy they can use for several more years.
Since we have kids of different ages in the house, we switch back and forth between the two modes a lot; it only takes a second and is very easy to do. (P.S: If your smallest Tupperware containers go missing, look in the flip-top in front. Trust me.)
Out of all the toys on this list, this sit-to-stand train gives you the most bang for your buck. You can probably find enough cash to buy one of these under your couch cushions, yet your kid will be playing with it for years.
The engine and the seat are detachable and there are a billion different ways to play. At 15 months, my son liked to flip the orange seat up and pull it behind him all over the house. At age 2, he pushed the engine while walking behind. At 3 he liked putting both parts together like in the picture and pushing himself around with his feet (after filling up the bottom with treasures to haul around.)
There are lots of lights and buttons which my kids like, but I probably won't bother replacing the batteries when they run out because this is such a great active toy and it doesn't need them. I'll probably also get rid of the talking plastic alphabet blocks at some point because they're not played with a lot but I end up picking them up all the time... but the train is definitely staying!
Having toys that grow with your toddler is great whether you're on a budget, living in a tight space, or have children in different age groups. These are 6 of our favorite toddler toys because they keep our kids engaged for years to come, and they've all been well worth the investment.
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When my kids hit about 5, they're mostly too big to fit in the Cozy Coupe anymore: but that doesn't mean they stop trying. They Cozy Coupe has gotten a facelift since we bought ours, and you have the option now to get all kinds of specialty styles like police cars or convertibles or pickup trucks. I suspect the popemobile is next.
Playskool Step Start Walk 'n Ride
Since we have kids of different ages in the house, we switch back and forth between the two modes a lot; it only takes a second and is very easy to do. (P.S: If your smallest Tupperware containers go missing, look in the flip-top in front. Trust me.)
VTech Ultimate Sit to Stand Alphabet Train
The engine and the seat are detachable and there are a billion different ways to play. At 15 months, my son liked to flip the orange seat up and pull it behind him all over the house. At age 2, he pushed the engine while walking behind. At 3 he liked putting both parts together like in the picture and pushing himself around with his feet (after filling up the bottom with treasures to haul around.)
There are lots of lights and buttons which my kids like, but I probably won't bother replacing the batteries when they run out because this is such a great active toy and it doesn't need them. I'll probably also get rid of the talking plastic alphabet blocks at some point because they're not played with a lot but I end up picking them up all the time... but the train is definitely staying!
Having toys that grow with your toddler is great whether you're on a budget, living in a tight space, or have children in different age groups. These are 6 of our favorite toddler toys because they keep our kids engaged for years to come, and they've all been well worth the investment.
4 comments:
Awesome thanks for sharing!
These are great ideas! I think it's so neat that y'all put the slide climber in a bedroom-that seems like it adds an extra element of awesomeness, because kids can play in it during all sorts of weather and times of day.
Oh man, my parents STILL have their original cozy coupe (they call it "The Herbie Car," as a reference to the Disney movie "the Love Bug"), so it's about 25 years old or something. It's all faded, but it still works!
Oh, the laugh and learn home! An anonymous donor gave us one years ago. It's much too big for the kid's tiny bedroom, but still it stays, and will move cross country with us next month. 6 kids 1-11, and they all use it daily. What better entrance to a blanket fort can you have???
Growing up, my siblings and I had a very similar version of Rody. We named it "hoppity llama."
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