Kids, Toys and Games

My friends and I were talking about what would make great gifts for kids. There were suggestions of play houses, slides and toy robots. Building blocks and balls were also recommended along with cars, trucks and various vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Some were truly expensive toys that I would love to have myself.

You could tell who of us actually grew up with kids around or were already parents because of the kind of gifts we suggested. Experience has shown me that sometimes the one we think they will love the least is what they like the most.

Take for example the slide. I managed to save up for one and gave it to my kids a couple of years ago for christmas. They loved the size of the gift and were excitedly tearing the wrapper. As soon as we had it out of the box, you know what they did? They ignored the slide and played house with the box it came in!

Kids have simple tastes when they are young. We are the ones who teach them to have a desire for the toys that flash and whirl and go bang. There are many simple toys that are fun and educational and absolutely perfect for them.

Among toys that my kids loved as babies are soft blocks, assorted buckets, swim balls, a basketball set (the kind that was adjustable) and for my girl - a rag doll.
Now, they play with many kinds of toys but we have added game boards that we can play as a family. We play Uno, Scrabble, Cranium, Sorry and Monopoly together. Of course, living with computers, we each have a neopet which helps teach the kids responsibility as well.

Toys are meant to be fun as well as educational. There are many toys to choose from. Keep in mind that the kinds of toys they play with help shape their character and their safety is always of paramount importance.