Infantreflux.org | Holiday toys/ideas

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September 25, 2006 at 11:55 am #14216

Anonymous
Inactive

I think there used to be a topic for holiday gift ideas/toys prior to the first hacking??? Anyway, I’ll just post here.

I was thinking ahead to the holidays and would like to get Seth a toddler PC. He loves to play with Daddy’s laptop (broke the “F” key!). So, I am thinking of recycling our dinosaur desktop PC for Seth. I have seen some that have freestanding toddler keyboards and some that have a keyboard that fits over a standard keyboard and both come with software geared for his age group. I guess another option is to use the existing computer as is and just buy toddler software. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? Here’s a link to one I was thinking about. I saw where Fischer Price just came out with something similar too.

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/117/38757/117.html

September 26, 2006 at 9:07 am #14272

hellbennt
Keymaster

ummm, ducking tomatoes here

personally I don’t like the idea of wee ones and computers- MY OPINION- sorry(!?)-is that there is so much time in life to get all absorbed into a computer (eeks, look at me!)- I think when they’re little it’s good to play- yes i know that there are educational aspects to using the computer- it helps w/ hand eye coordination etc etc but I just think that there are so many other things that wee ones can be doing- like building their imagination- leggos are fantastic! and puzzles! that’s great for spatial relations, etc…how about music? that’s great, too- musical toys- even a keyboard…tambourine, egg shakers, etc…books! art!

I just see that kids (I work in elementary school) come to expect being entertained and i truluy think it’s important to be able to entertain onself…

ok, sorry…

so there were suggestions of toys in there somewhere– I’ll have to get back to this post to give more suggesttions- gotta run

~laura

September 27, 2006 at 10:53 am #14407

Anonymous
Inactive

Well Matthew is younger and i have no idea what i will be getting him in a few months but given his temperament, i do not think that he could be sitting in front of anything for long and he would be pulling the keyboard and the computer down…. but every child is different.

For Christmas toys… well at one point in time we were unsure whether Matthew was going to be OK developmentally, so the OT recommended some websites for toys that are challenging, stimulating etc that the OT will use when they come to your house etc… so i have become an addict at going to those websites… and i tend to choose a few toys from there. There are regular toys but they each serve a purpose adn given that they are all fun, it is easier for me to shop than to look at thousands of tos and decide.

Favorite one right now is http://www.beyondplay.com

Some of the toys are expensive but you can sometimes find them in target or costco….

I don’t have suggestions for you because MAtthew is younger but if anyone is interested in what we do with Matthew in OT let me know

September 27, 2006 at 11:15 am #14408

hellbennt
Keymaster

the busy box was a hit:http://www.geniusbabies.com/busboxtodtoy.html

(not saying to get it from here)

toy recommendations: http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=200181&am p;am p;highlight=#200181

http://www.kidbean.com has great wooden toys too! They are a super-nice family!

And http://www.oompatoys.com

is cool—you can do a registry there!

Also http://www.jomamaco.com

has a registry and has cool wooden stuff. My kids love these:
http://www.jomamaco.com/ecommerce/control/product/~category_ id=play/~product_id=PSE

*(ETA: they make great car ramps! )*

wooden toys: http://www.toanotoyworks.com/home.html#top

nat’l fibers: http://www.magiccabin.com

wooden/other/play kitchens: http://www.thebabywearer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=299290#p ost299290

hellbennt2006-9-27 13:13:48

September 27, 2006 at 1:03 pm #14423

Anonymous
Inactive

Thanks guys- don’t get me wrong, I am all for active and educational toys. Seth doesn’t really sit still long either but I thought the toddler computer would be an alternative to him tearing up ours and to give him something to play with in the home office since Dh is going to be primarily working out of the house now.

I also plan into checking out bikes (or at least a trike, he goes nuts for them now), wooden puzzles (I love all of the ones by Melissa and Doug), blocks, etc. I’ll probably regret it later but I am also thinking about musical things like tambourines, maracas, a little drum?? He loves Daddy’s guitar…

I’ll check out all of the links.

September 27, 2006 at 1:06 pm #14424

Anonymous
Inactive

Oh, no!!! PLEASE no more toy links! Especially educational toys. That’s my weakness. My kids have more “braniac” toys than any little Einstein could use! But I have to buy more, more, more. Now I know where, where, where.

September 27, 2006 at 1:09 pm #14425

Anonymous
Inactive

Tiffany,

Besides “braniac” toys I’m a big fan of music toys. My kids have them and love them. They are terrific because it’s something you can do with them which they love. Have you ever looked into Kindermusik? It’s fabulous. My kids all love it. We just started new classes this week.

How’s Seth doing?

September 27, 2006 at 1:13 pm #14426

Anonymous
Inactive

Thais, one educational toy that Seth loved at Matthew’s age (still does) is the Tupperware shape sorter. Ours was a hand me down from a friend whose girls both loved it too. At first, it was challenging to him and he would get frustrated (Dh called it the frustration ball and even hid it once) but it was amazing to see how he progressed to be able to do it. He would sit in our laps for a long time and want us to help him with it!

http://order.tupperware.com/pls/htprod_www/tup_show_item.sho w_item_detail?fv_item_number=10054276000&fv_item_categor y_code=7000

September 27, 2006 at 1:21 pm #14431

Anonymous
Inactive

Christine, we must have been posting at the same time! I have heard of Kindermusik but have not thought about signing up. We do Gymboree and I think at the next level we will be introduced to some musical things. They did have a few tambourines and bells tied to some of the play equipt. last time and he liked playing with them! That’s great your kids like it!

September 27, 2006 at 1:33 pm #14436

Anonymous
Inactive

Thanks Tiffany…. we are now looking for a sorter and that one is pretty interesting because the shape is not what you would expect… hmmm. (I have to confess that i have most of Matthew’s toys for Christmas hiddne in a closet but the shape sorter is the one that i was debating about. I had thought about teh parents magazine one…. i have gotten a couple of their toys lately and really like them! They have a tambourine with some instruments inside which is really good…

http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Magazine-Play-Learn-Instrument s/dp/B000H28FKS

We did gymboree and we are now doing musictogether just because it is closer. Matthew cried at the beginning and he was overwhelmed but he now loves it, loves it (oh yes and he goes with daddy on saturdays so i get some time off and i take him to another music class that is in spanish!)

September 27, 2006 at 1:41 pm #14439

Anonymous
Inactive

Thais, that is EXACTLY the music set I was thinking about. I saw it at Target!!

September 27, 2006 at 2:11 pm #14444

Anonymous
Inactive

We have that music set! We actually got it for Owen for Christmas last year and he still loves it. We’re thinking about getting him a keyboard this year. My husband and I are SO musically inclined that I don’t know if it’s in his genes or if it’s just because he is ALWAYS around music, but Owen shows so much interest in music and musical instruments and singing that I really hope that he ends up becoming involved in music as he grows older. I always played an instrument, even after college, and my husband play guitar, and we still go to concerts all the time – I just know how wonderful music was and has been for me in my life and would love for Owen to have those same experiences.

Anyway, I digress. That music set is great – Owen liked it a lot last year so it was a good 1 year gift, but he plays with it still and more the way I think it was intended, so it would also be a good 2 year gift. We’re thinking a keyboard this year, and then maybe a children’s guitar next year, if he still shows an interest. We even had a harmonica out last night and Owen was trying to play that – Pat was saying how great it would be if Owen became a prodigy! Ha! A harmonica prodigy! I think he’s just looking for a way to meet David Letterman…

September 27, 2006 at 2:27 pm #14445

Anonymous
Inactive

You guys rock. I’m totally getting Marisa that busy box and the Tupperware

sorter and maybe the music set too for Hanukkah! Well some of them we’ll

tell family to get for her…

September 27, 2006 at 3:16 pm #14453

Anonymous
Inactive

I bought the Parent’s Music Set for Liza when she was 9 months old. She loved it and still plays with it. And Ellie and Myles both love it. It’s a great toy! I got it at Target. They have lots of Parents toys there.

September 27, 2006 at 4:14 pm #14457

hellbennt
Keymaster

I was looking for a different puzzle to show you guys & found this one- looks like a great 1st puzzle: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Shapes-Chunky-Puzzle/dp/B 000F676D8

aha! here’s what I was looking for; http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Beginner-Pattern-Blocks/d p/B00005O63Q/sr=1-18/qid=1159388098/ref=sr_1_18/002-4326585- 6128005?ie=UTF8&m=A154Z3BZB2CCWS&s=toys-and-games

hellbennt2006-9-27 16:15:47
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