Being the first grandchild of the family, Ben was gifted with tons of toys. Some were used, but most were forgotten. Here are the toys that have lasted for Ben.
- Cleo’s Color Book – Ben ate this book up, literally. It was his first book that he was gifted. By the time he was 1 he could recite the book in baby talk. When teething hit, he got his first taste of cardboard from this book. We eventually had to throw it out and buy him a new one. Cute illustrations and simple rhymes that help associate a color with a certain object in the book.
- Mega Bloks – When Ben turned 1, he wanted to build. Regular Legos (and even Lego Duplos) were too much for his tiny hands to grasp. Mega Bloks were the key to success. Best of all they were sturdy. So when Ben built the most amazing five block tower he’s ever seen, they didn’t fall down and frustrate him.
- Baby Einstein Explore and Discover Soft Blocks – Before crawling and walking, we had a sitting baby. These soft blocks were probably the reason Ben got interested in building. Each cube/block also had a different feature on each of them. One would vibrate, another had a little mirror, one would crinkle when squeezed and all had different textures placed around the cube. These kept Ben entertained long enough for me to make a sandwich (win!)
- Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Home Playset – When Ben started crawling and walking, this was a HUGE hit. He cautiously would scale the house, pressing all the buttons and do a little jig to the catchy tunes that would play. Every now and then, he still asks for us to take this out so he can kick open the door and sing along to all the tunes he’s familiar with.
- Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Smart Stages Chair – This one is still sitting in our living room. There’s tons of things that this little chair can do. You can set the stage of the chair (there are 3 stages total) and it will have an activity that is age appropriate. Ben’s favorite is the remote that plays music. He also loves the little storage compartment under the seat.
- Lego Duplo – Along with Mega Bloks, Ben was gifted tons of Lego Duplos. These aren’t as teeny tiny as regular Lego sets (Lego City is a popular one), there is less of a choking hazard with these. At 2.5, Ben prefers these to his Mega Bloks for some unknown reason. Maybe because they require a little more skill and there’s a few more options in block shape? Either way, he loves these and there are tons of sets you could buy with different Duplo characters and colors.
- Dinosaurs – This specific dino set is one Ben enjoys because the dino figures stand up easily. He does have tons of different dino figures and loves them all. I like this set because it came with a little backpack; easy storage after playtime.
- Nursery Rhyme Comics – Ben recently got into reading again. This book is his go-to every time he sits on the potty. There are around 50 nursery rhymes in this book, all in comic format. It’s an enjoyable read for my husband and myself too! Ben likes to recite his favorites along with us. The illustrations are gorgeous and it gives everyone’s favorite nursery rhyme new life in the comic format.
- / 9.5 Marvel Playskool Figures / Marvel Avenger Titan Hero Figures – I bunched these two together because they’re the same kind of idea and Ben loves them both equally. He likes to take his Playskool figures with us on trips. They’re about 2 inches tall and fit nicely in his pockets or my purse/diaper bag. The Titan series are your average sized action figure (around 8 inches tall). No lights or sounds with these, but they work just fine for Ben’s imagination. These are his go-to toys at the moment and if your kiddo only likes one of the avengers, you can find them pretty easy at Target/Walmart/Toys R’ Us for $10.
- Nabi 2S Tablet – We had the Sprout Cubby for sometime, until my dad sat on it and the screen cracked…When we went to Best Buy to get a replacement, they didn’t have any in stock but the Nabi 2S was on sale so we snatched it right up. We try not to let Ben use this too much but it’s nice to have for the times he’s restless. It has Google Play installed so he can play his favorite Toca Boca games or just take pictures of his forehead (poor thing hasn’t mastered the selfie just yet.)
With baby #2 on the way, I’m sure we’ll be reusing a lot of these toys. Maybe one day they’ll be playing with them together. Only time will tell!
What are some toys that lasted more than 5 minutes with your kid(s)?