Toy Shopping How about Classic Toys
Lets face it, if you haven’t been able to track down a leap pad by this point forget it! We always do a big toy donation before the holidays come so that we can give some of our loved toys and toys we never played with to a new home. Nowadays, most of the toys found for children are basically some expensive video games; not that modern technology is bad, but it is also nice for kids to have some vintage and classic toys which were simple, but still as fun (and probably not as expensive).
I always struggle with what to get for gifts. A really great classic toy is the Mr. Potato Head toy! Any kid would love this; it’s fun (to remove and replace all his features), make these pieces into funny faces, and it’s silly (all the parts to this toy is stored in his bum). Not only is easy to manage and not easily broken, it isn’t as expensive as a new laptop; it’s simple, fun, and adorable. Mr. Potato has been altered so many times since his first debut, and now for the girlies there is a Mrs. Potato Head. Although a female, she has the same fun and cute factor as her other.
Compared to this new era of iPads, the Etch A Sketch does not seem as “magical” as it was when it first came out, but this too is a wonderful vintage toy. They come in all sorts of sizes, whether the kid wants a huge masterpiece, or just a portable art-on-the-go. Just using a couple of dials, this toy can release all what’s in your kids imagination, with the simple twists of these dials and the many gray lines they create. It’s cheaper than the iPad, and is also easier, and is always ready for whatever boredom comes your kids way. Puzzles and Board games are also a family favorite of ours. Everything from Candy land to Chutes and Ladders are classics that can be enjoyed a relatively inexpensive prices compared with electronic toys.
Ah, and who could forget Lincoln Logs? Not only are they an outlet for creativity, but they’re simple. Not batteries or assemble needed (yes!). Event though Lincoln Logs are not portable, they are still great for kids to play with because it’s a different kind of fun technology can’t provide them. How about a simple set of wooden blocks? I remember when my daughter turned two a friend of mine gave her a set of blocks. I thought to myself, what a simple gift, a classic. We still have those blocks and the kids still play with them often.
Also, do not forget yo-yos! This is as vintage as toys can get; it is one of the oldest toys in history (dating back to more than 2,500 years ago) and even to this day it still brings pleasure to kids. It doesn’t matter how skilled, how old, how athletic or non-athletic, how tall or short, or even ethnicity, any kid can play it. Despite all the technology out there today, kids still love playing with the yo-yo to this day.
Although it may not seem like a classic with the recent revival, Care Bears have been capturing the hearts of kids since the 1980s with their different personalities and cuteness. Because of the variety of Care Bears, kids are bound to find one perfect for their personality. These adorable teddy bears also serve as an amazing friend to kids, believe it or not. Don’t forget about Strawberry Shortcake, she now offers remote control cars as well as dolls.
All these toys are just some of the classic and vintage toys that have stood the test of time but there are many more to explore and discover. Not only are classic toys a great way to dive back into memories, but it offers a type of fun that is slowly being replaced.
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I love giving my kids the basics. Mr Potato head is a great toy for speech development too. All three of my kids had speech services and the therapist always used Mr. Potato head (where do his eyes go, where does his mouth go). You are right there is something wonderful about letting our kids have some of the same toys we had as children and it does promote imaginative play like no computer can. Thanks for a great piece!
If I gave my son one of the awesome toys I played with as a kid (Yay push popper!!) he’d stare at it, look at me and go “WTF IS THIS?!” Kids these days are not as simple as we once were 😛
Great post and we agree with your opinion – classic wooden toys are not only our childhood memories but it can be a great way how to teach our children many skills – for example pull along animals with abacus, wooden pencil holders, money banks etc.