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Monday, June 22, 2015

Good Toys to Bring on Your Next Visit

Some general suggestions:
Have batteries loaded.  Some toys need screw drivers to open the compartment.
Read instructions ahead of time.  I found a couple were a bit complicated at first.
If the instructions don't make sense to you, see if there is a video on YouTube.
Make sure you have all supplies ready (scissors, tape, etc)
You might have some of the time-consuming steps done ahead of time.
I was so excited to find lacing cards with a boy theme.

The rockets were the #1 hit.  We wore them out.  With 2 rockets, Chase would share 1 with another child on the playground.  One evening, a shy child was intimidated by the rockets.  Chase literally chased him around the playground to insist he take his turn.  Hilarious!!
I have found these at Tuesday Morning and Big Lots for around $4.  Their inventories are hit and miss, so you might prefer Amazon or eBay.  They run around $11 on those sites.

Chase had fun with this one too.  To play, put the ball in the shooter and stomp it with your foot.  The goal is to get all 4 teeth knocked back.  Resetting the teeth didn't work very well, but I could usually get it to hold the teeth after several attempts.

Chase loved this one.  We created new designs on the special paper over and over.  I liked that the paper was recycled when the design faded.  Some might be disappointed to not save a special picture, but I liked it that way.
This was another find at Tuesday Morning!

Art See Studio: This is great.  The iPad fits in the frame.  You will need to download the free app.  The games and backgrounds for the pictures were fun.  This could also be used without the frame if you are away from home and want to entertain your toddler.  I needed to watch videos on YouTube to get the full benefit how to use this.  Once Chase knew how to do a couple of things, he resisted letting me show him new things. He was more receptive to watching the YouTube videos and then would try the new ideas.
I found this at Tuesday Morning for around $7.


Magnetic dress up doll for boys made out of wood.  This is a great toy (as are all Melissa & Doug toys).  I tried to get Chase to mix and match the outfits, but he goes by the rules.  Maybe I will get him to put superhero pants with the pirate shirt the next time I go visit.
Tuesday Morning had a girls' version for around $8.  Other locations might have a boys' version.


The battery operated bubble gun is a great outdoor toy.  If you plan to buy this, bring extras for other kids at the playground to eliminate a sharing problem.

The rules for this game were a little complicated for Chase, but we were able to adapt it to rules he enjoyed.  I suggest you read the instructions ahead of time.

This is great over Skype/Facetime too (see earlier post).



These were fun but took a lot of time to make.  The book has 60 airplanes and cost $20.  I would rather have fewer plane designs and cost less.  The cutting required with the scissors took too long.  I wonder why the pages weren't perforated.  We went through all the straws fairly quickly and had to use regular straws.  Chase had a lot of fun blowing through the straw.

Stupid game.  I thought the talking chicken would be funny, but it was just annoying.  It didn't hold Chase's interest very long either.  I was also concerned with the plastic discs, because they would be easily swallowed by EJ.  It went to the second-hand store right after I left.

I have a new surprise!!  Just like we do on our Facetime calls, Chase finds the surprises on his bed.  It was a fun way to introduce new toys.  Some days there would only be 1.  On a day we were home the whole time, there might be several surprises.