Last night my husband and I perused the toy aisle in Walmart, looking for ideas for our son’s Christmas present. He is just over a year and a half now, and pretty much anything that has wheels or involves horses is sure to get him excited. The problem we’ve been facing is trying to find a toy that will not only reflect his favorite things, but will also be age appropriate and hopefully so for a long time. We don’t want to get him something that he will outgrow in 3-6 months. It should at least last until next Christmas and should also be something that can be passed down to a younger sibling in the future. Besides age appropriateness and longevity, we’re looking for a toy with the following qualities:
1. Simplicity: I always try to select toys that promote creativity in their simplicity. I have found that the more complicated a toy is, the more quickly a child tires of it. Kids seem to play more with the basics: dolls, cars, blocks, balls and bikes, for example.
2. Durability: This is related to longevity, except it has more to do with the toy being able to withstand the physical abuse that a toddler often doles out. I avoid cheep plastics and tend to steer towards toys that appear hefty. One of the toys that we were looking at was a little red tricycle. It looked and felt pretty solid. It also seemed to fit the bill for longevity since it was adjustable and appropriate for ages 18 months to 3 years.
3. Storage-friendly. We don’t have a warehouse for our son’s toy collection, so anything we get must have a home before it even arrives. We like things that do not take up too much space and it’s even better if they break down for storage.
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