I’ve been re-thinking my toy strategy this Christmas. We live in a fairly small apartment while my husband is going to school. The last thing I need is more junk hanging around with really no place to go. This year I wanted to make sure we were buying toys for our kids that will get played with over and over again. Toys that will stimulate the mind and help them in their most important job right now. Play! There are quite a few articles out there outlining the benefits of keeping it simple with toys.

Check out this article or this one…or this one.

Keeping it simple with toys does some of the following:

It reduces conflict between children.
Kids Gain longer attention spans: Instead of bouncing from one toy to another the child is allowed to sit with one toy… to contemplate their day and really dive into one toy. When a child stays with one toy they often use it to process their day.
They gain better social skills and gain resourcefulness.
Fewer toys fosters creativity, love of reading, art, and your child’s imagination.
They learn to take good care of the toys they have and to share with other children.
They find joy and satisfaction in places besides the toy store, like nature.

Check out the articles above to see why simplifying your toys is great for your kids.

With the holiday season coming up I wanted to focus more on what toys are great ones to have (as in to keep if you have them or maybe buy for Christmas if you don’t). To me great toys to have are ones that will last and can be used by many age groups.

Good Toys can pass the following test:

Do they inspire Creativity? When the child is playing with the toy is their imagination working. Are they actively creating with the toy? (creating a scene or a building…etc. I love putting this as does the toy play or does the child play with the toy?
Will the toy last through years of play? There are some toys designed for only 6 months worth of your child’s development while other toys can be played with from 2 years old to 12.
Do I like them more than my kids like them?