"Staple" toys for my kiddo!

[MSmith88]

You gals are so awesome! I do have a few questions though.

Where is a good place to get play silks?
What makes Waldorf dolls so special an expensive?
Anyone have a favorite place to purchase felt food?


We have most of all the other things mentioned. We have a kidscraft kitchen that I found for $15 at a thrift shop, wooden food, musical instruments, a geometric stacker (Melissa and doug), baby dolls and accessories, and nice wooden puzzles.

She just has a lot of other things too. I just love all of her little people toys. They do take up a lot of space but she seems to like them even at such a young age. Also, my mom wants to get her the loving family doll house for her 2nd birthday. Yay or nay? The other item for her 2nd birthday from us is a dress up chest.

[pgkcb13]

Originally Posted by TypeAMom Wooden blocks, play food, something for dress up (we've used a sheet before which doubles as a fort), books (can be from library, too), musical instruments, a doll and/or stuffed animals.

I'd add playsilks and some sort of 'people' to this list. Our girls love their gnomes (they have some like this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/92722930...y-5-wool-felt? they are really easy to make), and also this: https://www.atoygarden.com/index.cfm...6C16043BE2B8ED

As far as the silks, they are really easy to dye yourself and much cheaper that way. Otherwise I suggest etsy, sometimes you can find someone just starting out who has stuff for sale for cheap to get feedback.

Those really are the things my girls play with most... We still have a lot more, but it's because of me, not them

ETA:
Personally I'd probably skip the doll house, we got one for ODD and she never really got into it, and you can always make houses out of blocks and play silks!

Oh, also, baskets of things like rocks, pinecones, etc always go over really well! Just make sure they are bigger rocks and/or you watch closely when they're still putting everything in their mouths

[elizabeth.scalf]

Originally Posted by MSmith88 You gals are so awesome! I do have a few questions though. Where is a good place to get play silks? What makes Waldorf dolls so special an expensive? Anyone have a favorite place to purchase felt food? We have most of all the other things mentioned. We have a kidscraft kitchen that I found for $15 at a thrift shop, wooden food, musical instruments, a geometric stacker (Melissa and doug), baby dolls and accessories, and nice wooden puzzles. She just has a lot of other things too. I just love all of her little people toys. They do take up a lot of space but she seems to like them even at such a young age. Also, my mom wants to get her the loving family doll house for her 2nd birthday. Yay or nay? The other item for her 2nd birthday from us is a dress up chest.

Look at Dharma Trading Company for the silks. I bought about a dozen for $50, and used food due to color them. Much cheaper than buying them. I personally wouldn't do a dollhouse, my 4 year old still isn't in to it, and my 2.5 only normally is. I've put it in the closet for a while.

Oh, I'd add a huge mixing bowl, or set of bowls for nesting, some smaller nesting cups, a few hand-sized balls, a flat board for rolling (we have a 3x3 plywood that I prop on a block to make a ramp and the girls roll stuff down).

[cpamamma]

My daughter loves puzzles. I know I would also have crafting supplies on my list which can double as imaginary toys as well.

[pgkcb13]

Oh yes, things like pom poms and pipe cleaners... never understood the appeal until I had kids of my own, lol. We use them for color matching/sorting, small motor, fill n spill, you name it!

[lifeabroad]

We love our Melissa and Doug Felt Food. They have all different sets. My boys love the sandwich set the best. They will play and play with those pieces! They particularly like the pita pocket Ikea also has some. We love Ikea's play dishes and utensils.

[mrspopo]

My 20m's favorite toys: hard plastic animal set, lots and lots of books, musical instruments, rody horse, ikea play kitchen, wooden dollhouse, crawl tunnel, real doctor kit, wooden train set from ikea, and all stuffed animals. She also spends a lot of time playing with sensory items. I've been very inspired by play at home moms, and have it set up so she can access the materials when she wants them. So she gets out the paints/crayons or bin of corn kernels or play doh or slime and is even starting to clean them up when she's done.

In the bath it's a set of little stacking cups from ikea. She also likes the rubber ducks, and foam shapes. And on the fridge she plays with magnetic gears, and an alphabet set that she's actually learned about 10 letters from. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS.../chrisficti-20 (we got ours for $3 at a garage sale).

Outside it's the toddler swing, our giant trampoline, plasma car, and this playground http://www.littletikes.com/kids-toys...ble-playground

[~Laura~]

For that age, I'd have a few wooden cars/trains, a few nice puzzles and games, some Schleich and/or Toob animals, some wooden peg or Little People people, play silks, baby doll or two and play food with or without a kitchen.
My 8yo DD didn't get into get doll house until she was about 5yo. She still plays with it though. I'd probably hold off and get a nice wooden one when she's older. My kids do have a vintage Fisher Price house that's small enough for Little People or wooden peg people that gets a lot of use. You could look into something smaller for now.

[crnchy_mama_lala]

Our DD is 3 now and her favorite toys for the past year have definitely been her little people, her kitchen & play food, her wooden blocks, doctor set and dollies and her wood train set. She has silk scarves she adores that she uses to play with her dollies, play dress up and play super hero. She also has Lego Duplos she got for Christmas last year, the b. instrument set, wooden cars and some assorted puzzles/ magnetic dolls from melissa and doug, but she plays with this stuff less often that the toys I mentioned above. She has a little people play house and barn that she plays with her little people and lego duplo people in every single day. I think some kids just like playing with doll houses and some don't. If you have one she likes to play with little people now, she will probably like the other doll house imo.

Our play silks were a gift so I'm not sure where the best place to get them is, but I second the mama who said etsy. Etsy is a great place to get play food as well! Also swapmamas.com. There are mama's on there who knit or felt play food and will trade so if you have something they need you don't end up having to pay anything at all except shipping.

Our dd also likes playing with all the scarves my mom has in her closet at her house, so if you can't find anything in your price range you could always try looking at all the scarves at goodwill and let her pick some out that have colors & textures she's drawn to.

As far as waldorf dolls my understanding of them is that they are so expensive because of the materials that are used to make them (they tend to be all natural) and because they are handmade. I seen some beautiful dolls for swap on swapmamas and for sale on here and etsy as well.

[MSmith88]

Thanks

DH and I talked tonight about starting to box things up and setting a time of two months to see how her play time changes.
We have decided to keep:

Little People (barn, noahs ark, and house)
Play food and kitchen
Baby dolls (2) and her stroller
Her most loved lovies (stuffed animals)
Wooden shape sorter and geometric stacker
Instruments
Puzzles
Balls
Books (picking a dozen for her playroom and her room... she seriously has 100+)
A ride on car that she adores

I will add more later as she grows but for now I think this will suit her just fine.