twinutero

The holiday season is here, and as much as I wish the world were less materialistic, most parents, myself included, will likely be buying toys. There are lots of “best toy” sites to direct shopping. Here’s mine.

1. Ikea wooden train tracks. By far, this has been the best entertainment value for money in our house. The tracks are compatible with Brio and Thomas sets, but are much, much cheaper. We’ve supplemented with a few extra Thomas pieces and trains to make the set more interesting. So many toys advertise that they supply “hours and hours” of fun. This one really does.

2. Other Ikea toys. Actually, you can’t go too far wrong with any Ikea toys. Our kids love the tent, the pots and the wooden stacking blocks.

3. Baby Einstein Alphabooks. A box of 26 short books, one for each letter of the alphabet. There’s no text – only the sort of engaging pictures that have made Baby Einstein famous. Jon has dragged this box around the house for months and, for a boy just two, has learned a surprising number of letters and words. Not that Baby Einstein needs any extra advertising, but this is definitely a “best toy” in Jon’s world.

4. Playskool Spin Arcade. When our wonderful Aunt Sam bought this for the twins, we were skeptical. When we flipped the “on” switch, we were repelled. But Sam has a way of choosing toys, and this one turned out to be a favorite. When the twins were just learning to stand, they would pull themselves up, press the buttons, and chase the balls. When the novelty wore off, they put other objects on the spinner – bottles, cars, spoons – and watch the result with intense curiousity. Experimentation at one year old.

5. Cars. Thomas loves trains; Alex loves cars. We have a few second-hand garages and a bucket of toy cars. He sorts, arranges, then resorts and rearranges. No batteries (and not much money) required.