Toy Help!

[scottishduffy]

Hello! I posted on the community board and only got two replies. So i am reposting here and hoping that this is the place to go!

I am looking for advice on Baby toys. I shopping for a 3 month old nephew and 1 yr old neice (seperate families). i am looking for good, sturdy, non-singing, toys for them. I am putting myself at the mercy of the family board for what toys your little ones got that they have enjoyed and have been around for a while.

For the 3 month old I am considering one of these two items:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2400544

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2265222

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2783732

Do any of you have these? I am open to other recommendations of course.

For the one year old i have already gotten her some roll-a-rounds, which she adored. I also got her the Fischer price Animal train which she likes a lot but drives her dad to the brink of insanity with its constant singing. I was thinking of possibly adding on to those other sets or getting a new toy. I was looking at this one:

http://www.oompa.com/baby-toys/item/HA0984/Haba-Cheese-Carriage.html?oompaItem=Haba_Cheese Carriage

Please weigh in with opinions, i have no kids myself yet but am looking to give these two kiddos good quality items that will last them and will not drive the parents insane with incessant flashing and singing. Thanks!!

 

[DevilDuckie]

Books! Buy the children books!

Yes, I'm "that aunt".

Our favorite board books to give are Mo Willems' "Pigeon" series. In addition to the picture books he's done wonderful board books- "The Pigeon LOVES things That Go" and "The Pigeon Has Feelings Too" are both wonderful.

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear" is also a good one. "Goodnight Gorilla" is another winner, but I'd lean toward buying it in full size picture book form, not board book. Oh! Rosemary Wells' Max and Ruby! The Max and Ruby books are hysterical.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I agree with the books suggestion. Anything by Eric Carle in a board book, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, the DK Touch and Feel books - like this one, although there are many:

http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Feel-Ju...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216861391&sr=1-1

Cloth books are nice for the littler one. Tub toys would be good for either, but more so the 1-year old. Pull toys like the one you found are good too since the 1-year old is probably walking or close to it, but I think my kids had been walking a while before they really started to pull something around (15-18 months or so). My kids both liked the Whoozit and the Skwish

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy...e=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1216861731&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-Toy...e=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1216861766&sr=1-1


We have Goodnight Gorilla as a board book, and it has been a favorite! I'm sure the picture book is even better!

 

[sndfan]

BOOKS! I've read to my son since he was weeks old, and now he loves to read and is reading many grades above where he should be.

Love Sandra Boynton books, especially "The Going to Bed Book".

Tub toys are great too.

 

[Aristomommy]

My son had all the baby toys and really enjoyed them. You can't go wrong with any one of them.

Thank you for thinking of the parents as well

 

[kimmylaj]

for the 3 month old i vote for the third one , my daughter is 2 and that is still one of her favorite toys
for the 1 year old i vote for something with fisherprice little people they last forever and encourage imagination and pretend play

 

[Disneyvirg]

I agree with all the previous posters. Books are great. I loved the vinyl bath books when my daughters were really young. Infants love chewing stuff and it's okay for them to chew on bath books - plus they love flipping through the pages and they're pretty hard to destroy. My daughter's both loved the Dr Suess One Fish, Two Fish bath book.

The stacking cups are a great idea for the infant. My two year old still plays with hers. At three months, she'll just stick them in her mouth. Eventually she'll bang them together & then move on to stacking.

I thought the Fischer Price balls looked awesome...my daughters hardly played with them.

For the one year old I agree with books as an awesome choice. Also - things they can push. She's probably a bit young to pull something much yet.. Since she's probably about to walk, walk behind toys are fabulous. As are the good old fashioned block sorters. She won't be able to put them in their specific slots yet, but she'll love putting them in the box & dumping them out.

Good luck!

 

[wishtdream]

As a mom I prefer books and or old fashioned toys ie: blocks, cars, stacking cups. Board books, blocks and cars are appropriate for children all the way up to age five or six. One of my favorite books to read to my kids is Dr. Seuss's Mr. Brown can moo.
However we have Aunts and Uncles who love our children enough to buy them other things. We currently have a V-Smile driving to that my soon to be 1 year old and my soon to be six year old both play with. But I warn you it is even more obnoxious than the Fisher Price Animal Train that my sister bought at Christmas.


If I had to choose one of the items you listed I would get the stacking toy, but.. it would sit on the shelf for at least four months until the little one could sit unsupported to play with it. That said as the children's Aunt you should get them something you think you would enjoy helping them play. The greatest gift you can give them is your love, affection and time. Material things are just clutter.

 

[MNdisneymom]

I don't remember where I got this...but when my DS (5) was tiny, he had a soft book that you could put pictures in...it had a little handle, said something on the front like "the people I love"....Slide in space for about 6-8 pictures....He loved it!!

 

[marcyinPA]

I don't remember where I got this...but when my DS (5) was tiny, he had a soft book that you could put pictures in...it had a little handle, said something on the front like "the people I love"....Slide in space for about 6-8 pictures....He loved it!!

My DS13 had one of those! In fact, we still have it! LOL It was brightly colored, like all of those Sassy brand toys...so maybe it was the same brand? I don't remember, but he LOVED that book....we'd change the pictures up from time to time!

 

[Fall1]

I don't remember where I got this...but when my DS (5) was tiny, he had a soft book that you could put pictures in...it had a little handle, said something on the front like "the people I love"....Slide in space for about 6-8 pictures....He loved it!!

My 13 month old twins each have one of these and they LOVE them. I've given them as gifts and filled them with pictures and people really seem to like them. You can get them from Babies R Us or Target for around $6.99.

Otherwise I vote for bath/board books and stacking cups, the kids love those too!

 

[scottishduffy]

Thanks for the advice. The 3month old actually has a ton of books already (baby shower theme) and my brother is already working on a special 'picture' thing for him. They are currently doing a genealogy project and family tree to make something for him to have iun his room. For these reasons I am skipping on the books.

I will definitely keep the picture book in mind for the 1 yr old, though her parents have currently hidden all books! They have a SIL living with them and between the 2 families there is a 20 month old, the 1 yr old, and a 6 month old. All books have been destroyed (by the kiddos) and are only allowed out at bedtime to prevent further harm from coming to the ones left. Maybe i will look into that as a bedtime book for the 1 yr old. It sounds really nice.

 

[Disneychix]

My DS (15months) really enjoys his Fisher Price farm. It does make some noise but not an obnoxious amount! He likes to walk around with the animals and drop them into the silo.
The thing about those noise-making toys is the kids really like them!

DS also really likes these rubberish WDW toy set of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto. It's great for teaching him all the characters and they are soft and plyable.

The toys you posted should be great.

 

[Disneychix]

Just thought of another toy DS really loved at 12months. Big wooden puzzles. Even though he couldn't "do" them he loved taking them apart and now he's getting good at putting them back together.

Target and BRU have a great selection of bigger piece wooden puzzles.

 

[workinmomof2]

For the one year have you thought of the large lego blocks. My kids both loved them, even at that age. You had to help them but they loved making the towers and still do.

For the 6 month old, I found a cloth peek-a-boo book where you could move the parts and see who was going to peek-a-boo you. He loved it. It is a game they can understand at that age. Also animal cloth books.