What I do love are:
... old-fashioned wooden toys, hand-crafted and beautifully made, like Debresk's Tow Truck (Made in Sweden).
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| Photo from Blueberry Toys. |
... modern toys that make even me (the grown-up!) wonder at the possibilities of what they can make, like Valtech's Magna-Tiles (Made in Thailand) that can be put-together in gorgeous patterns when used flat on a surface, or better yet placed on a light table. Magna-Tiles can also be used as traditional building blocks, allowing kids to build whatever their imagination desires.
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| Photo from MagnaTiles.com |
... whimsical toys that are just good ol' fun, and you know are well-made, durable, and sturdy enough not to break after two uses. I adore Playmobil's Super Set Dream Garden (Made in Europe). What's not to love - it has a unicorn. And a peacock. And a waterfall.
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| Photo from PlaymobilUSA.com |
And if unicorns and waterfalls aren't quite your thing, who doesn't want to explore the terrifically over-the-top, fantastical Playmobil Treasure Temple with Guards (Made in Europe).
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| Photo from PlaymobilUSA.com |
How 'bout you? Which kids toys are your grown-up favorites?
I love that my kids play with trains for hours. We have a set of wooden tracks with (ack!) Thomas trains. We also have a set of larger plastic tracks by Lego/Duplo (also Thomas). They have gotten so much use - and imaginative play-time - in our home that I can't believe I ever pooh-poohed the idea of getting them to begin with. Even the plastic one - which I cursed the day Opa sent it - has won me over.
ReplyDeleteI think I am a playmobil fanatic. I watch how my girls play with them and they really seem to be working things out. But I am like you in that I want the toys to look good and for the kids to not get bogged down by how they "should" be playing with them. It always breaks my heart a little when I see a child pick up a toy and ask "what does it do?"
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