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View Full Version : HELP, HELP!! I'm stuck. What do i get my child for christmas?



etwahl
12-03-2003, 12:54 PM
i had planned on buying a radio flyer walker, but after reading neve's post, i don't want one anymore!

i got a neurosmith music block, and am going to try and find a gertie ball. have bought some board books, but i'm a loss as to what else to get! and it's not just because it's christmas, because the truth is, lauren is very sick of her current toys, because she's played with them forever and i haven't bought anything new for a while. she does have the leapstart learning table already.

PLEASE HELP! I need ideas!!! My kid needs something to play with :) :) :)

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

Momof3Labs
12-03-2003, 12:59 PM
www.kidsurplus.com has gertie balls - we just got some last night and Colin is having a blast with them! Unfortunately, so is our Golden retriever...

How about stacking cups? A shape sorter? The Little Tykes garden center (discontinued, but you can still find it online - I got it at KB Toys)? Celeste the Sun by Lamaze (Colin loves this). The Signing Time DVD set. A little car that Lauren can push around the floor (any will work, but FP makes some cute chunky ones).

And if you want the RF push toy, then get it! Colin looooves his push toys and has played with them for months. It isn't a necessity, but most baby toys are not necessities.

etwahl
12-03-2003, 01:02 PM
lori, which push toys do you recommend? and what is a shape sorter? is that the thing where you have a ball and put the shapes in it? we have a wood one, but the age is much older i think on the package, so maybe it's not the same thing.

thanks for the recommendatoin on the gertie ball. also, neve sent me an email regarding your visit to raleigh. i'm so bummed i won't get to come. lauren's not a fan of the carseat long term. i'm sad i'll miss out on meeting you irl.

edited to say: i just went to kidsurplus.com and the balls they show are for older kids. is that right? also, do you know where we can get some with the bumps on them? i remember seeing those on a post a while back, maybe i have the wrong name...or are there lots of kinds of gertie balls? is the attraction because they can grasp and hold them easily?

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

pamela mom of 3
12-03-2003, 01:22 PM
How old? and what types of things does your child like in general?

For us, what i have had be a hit from young to still now are....

wooden blocks, duplo{lego} playmobile 1-2-3 line which consists of farm, house etc

edeco bead toys they have all sorts of types..shapes etc

corolle dolls, many different sizes 8in all the way up to 21in they are made in france and are washable, even my son loves to play with them.

if you child likes cars, trains etc i just got my son/ok all of them lol ;) a huggy buggy which is basically a huge rubber train-or car-or truck etc and they can push it about, rubber wheels too so no damage to the floors. tables..it says for 2yrs and up.

wooden puzzles, lights.camera.interaction make a whole bunch for little ones and up.

Ball drops are also neat we have one by tomy toys, it's a tad loud but does seem to entertain...discovery toys makes a neat one, our shoe store has one.

one place i love to shop is here

http://www.mastermindtoys.com

i'm sure their is more..but i need to go look and see what we own lol :D

http://pages.ivillage.com/cl-pamelamomof3

egoldber
12-03-2003, 01:47 PM
All of the above suggestions were really good.

Favs of Sarah's when she was around 1 were:

Little Tikes shopping cart
stacking cups and rings
wooden puzzles (the very simplest ones)
books
Fisher Price Shape Sorter
MegaBloks wagon with MegaBloks
Lamaze Fish Bowl
My First Purse
Little Tikes Activity Garden
wooden blocks

(and FYI, she still plays with ALL of the above)

Other toys that we didn't have but that she enjoyed at other people's houses:
Little Tikes Discover Sounds Kitchen
Mozart Magic Cube
an activity table

Little People sets are very popular, although honestly Sarah only plays with the twos sets we have very sporadically.

HTH,

NEVE and TRISTAN
12-03-2003, 02:05 PM
typing one handed...
but what about the Radio Flyer WAGON vs walker...I'm sorry my post rail roaded your plans, but if the walker was on them and you decide not to get it then I'd get the wagon that is what we are doing.

We also have a few wooden shape sorter, he doesn't have any idea where to put the shapes but he does love playing with them- one is a ride on toy bought in his first 2 months of life that we just assembled, I doubt he'll ever ride it but I got it at Tuesday Morning.

also some wood blocks like everyone suggested. I have bought several old, new, colored, natural etc... and have thrown them in a big straw laundry basket and he crawls over to it and pulls them out.

The toy library about 2 months ago suggested I check out an xylephone (sp???) that they beat with a drum stick, I thought it was way to old for him but checked it out and suprisingly he enjoys hitting it.

Tristan really does enjoy wood puzzles right now the most, he doesn't put them together he usually just keeps picking up the differnt peices and putting them in his mouth...but he does enjoy them, and again goes from peice to peice. The real simple ones are sold at Walmart for just a few dollars.

Melissa and Doug wooden stacking rings are also a fav for him right now...he doesn't stack them but does go from ring to ring and feels them and of course puts them in his mouth.

I tried to do a search on a Selecta Spielzeug toy that he has that is a jester on the end of a stick and it pops up and down when moved. Of course it is meant to really push when they are standing etc... but he knows at his level how to push it where the jester bounces up and down and the bells on his hat ring...I cna't find it via a search though to show.

I also think a baby gate under the tree is also a nice gift because it allows them freedom...I'd cheat and count that as a gift!!!

Their costly but he is LOVING his activity table that I got him!!!

HTH!
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

lisams
12-03-2003, 02:06 PM
To be honest, my DD has more fun with her simple toys. The more the toy does on its own (mainly electronic), the quicker she becomes bored with it and the less she finds to do with it. Here are her favorites:

Stacking/nesting cups http://tinyurl.com/xkkd
FP Snap Lock Beads http://tinyurl.com/xkkp
Balls - all sizes and styles
Blocks - peek-a-boo and wooden
Car to push around - this is her favorite http://tinyurl.com/xkli

We are getting her a swing to hang from the patio because she loves to be outside and we are also getting her the Megabloks wagon with the blocks.

HTH!
Lisa

Edited - I totally forgot about the Discovery Sounds Kitchen. DD loves it!! She plays with it all the time, opening and closing the doors, puting the blocks in the shape sorter, puting stuff in the fridge...it's one toy she doesn't get bored with!

Momof3Labs
12-03-2003, 02:31 PM
Well, we have the Fisher Price Stride to Ride walker because I got a great price on it last January at the Target toy clearance ($15, maybe?).

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-4/qid=1070477082/ref=sr_1_4/601-2323980-8392901?asin=B00005YVRM

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it because it doesn't have anything to adjust the speed, so we spent a lot of time "helping" Colin push it along. And the music is quite annoying. But once he got the hang of it, he spent a lot of time pushing it around and had a blast with it. Once he started walking, he got bored with it so we put it away, but it changes to a ride-on toy when he is ready for that. He also liked putting the balls into the basket on it.

For shape sorters, we have three. One is a cookie jar by Fisher Price, with five shapes. Colin really likes this one - but I'm not sure if it was discontinued; I picked it up at the Target toy sale, too, for about $3. The second is the Tupperware one we talked about a while back. It is nice, but Colin is still a little young for it. Finally, he has a Thomas the train shape sorter that he got for his birthday and absolutely loves.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000089GEU/qid=1070477280/br=1-19/ref=br_lf_t_19//102-1710036-0569704?v=glance&s=toys&n=280369

I'm not really into characters and such, but he loves Thomas and loves rolling things on the floor, and this one does both.

Yes, those are the gertie balls that were talked about (just not the one with the bumps - kidsurplus doesn't have that one). As long as Lauren is reasonably supervised with them, she'll be fine. I suppose that the valve is a choking hazard should it come out, but it certainly wouldn't be easy to remove. You can adjust the inflation so that they are soft and easy to hold, or firmer for older kids.

August Mom
12-03-2003, 05:28 PM
How about the Parents Alphablock Sorter? http://tinyurl.com/xlru I love ours and DS does too. At first, he just like manipulating the blocks and shaking the inserts. Now, he likes to throw and stack the blocks, put the shapes in them and put the blocks on his hands like boxing gloves. I think all my BILs and SILs have a set now for their little ones after seeing them in action.

A toy that we don't have but that is one of my nephew's favorites is the FP Ocean Wonders Fishbowl. http://tinyurl.com/xltd It's great for putting the balls in and taking them out.

Another cool toy is the Curiosity Cube. http://tinyurl.com/xlu7

MartiesMom2B
12-03-2003, 05:57 PM
Tammy:

This is what we are getting for Martie for Christmas. It's not a huge list though.

-Leapstart Learning Table
-Signing Times Videos
-Bard the Dragon Bath Puppet from Baby Einstein
-Wood Blocks

She'll be getting books and cds in heer stocking.

It's hard for me to get M a whole bunch of toys, when her favorite things to play with are an old remote, a paper gift bag, and a tape measure. All which I monitor her with.

Sorry that I won't be able to see you on Monday. Maybe we can organize a day trip down to somewhere in your area so you don't always feel the need to come to Raleigh.

Sonia

flagger
12-03-2003, 05:58 PM
We have lots and lots of moving boxes which we are wrapping up for her under the tree. The only thing we got her was the radio flyer walker.

My FIL got her the LeapStart learning table, hokey pokey elmo, some kind of drum.

My mom got her the LeapFrog Discovery Ball and a classic doll.

mharling
12-03-2003, 06:08 PM
I just found some things, including the Gertie ball and the nobby Gertie ball on this site:
www.sactoys.com

I also got some stacking cups and the Tolo Abacus rattle from here. The rattle and a couple of other Tolo toys got great rating on the toy site Neve posted last week.

Ds is also getting a book that we will read on Christmas Eve. Hoping to start a tradition with this one!

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osnt.jsp?i=67b0de21b356c32425b2 - Halloween Pics!

Momof3Labs
12-03-2003, 06:15 PM
PS - I'm sorry that I'll miss you, too, on Monday, but I understand how hard it is to travel with a car-seat hater! I have one, too!

heidi_timms
12-03-2003, 09:06 PM
Target has some really cute "Parents Magazine Choice" toys. A while back, someone posted about the walker, which I plan to get my DD for Christmas:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-10/qid=1070501384/ref=sr_1_10/601-1923135-6747313?asin=B00009XZTK

My local Target also had a music set by Parents Choice that was really cute. My niece has it and it was a hit. It was a drum with different musical intruments that store inside the drum. All of the musical instruments have a bug theme. For instance, the tamborine is a ladybug or snail or something.

~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

NEVE and TRISTAN
12-03-2003, 10:09 PM
My friend gave us those Parent's Block with the rattles and Tristan has enjoyed those!!!!
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

mharling
12-04-2003, 11:46 AM
I'm glad to hear a good review about that drum. I've been thinking about getting it for my niece for Christmas. My SIL is a percussionist so I'm hoping it would be welcome in their house. :)
It is SO CUTE!

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
http://www.shutterfly.com/osnt.jsp?i=67b0de21b356c32425b2 - Halloween Pics!

NEVE and TRISTAN
12-04-2003, 01:28 PM
I wanted to add these, I bought T a whole ensemble of music instruments from Tuesday Morning several months back, they are in a trunk for "one day". Well I got mad at DH for opening them up and giving the marakas to him BUT have to say he has those in his hands all the time.

They are from a compnay called "First Act" and I know Walmart had atleast some of their products recently I can't remember if the marakas were one of them they had.

Note they are painted so anyone concerned about paint might want to stay clear of these particular ones, that for some reason has not been a huge concern of mine...

Edited I did a search and here they are: His are prettier than these but we had a choice of the two...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000050FCW/qid=1070561226/sr=1-39/ref=sr_1_39/103-6789632-2148615?v=glance&s=toys
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

etwahl
12-04-2003, 06:11 PM
i would LOVE for all you guys to come down to my area!!! That would be wonderful :)

and maybe someday, when it warms up, we can all meet at the outlet mall between us...although that's still a long enough drive that lauren wouldn't tolerate the carseat on her own :(

Tammy,
Mom to Lauren Genevieve
03/12/2003
www.evantammy.com

mattiew
12-04-2003, 09:57 PM
In addition to the Little Tikes Discover Sounds kitchen (which someone else mentioned), DD loves the Discover Sounds workshop.

Good question to post - I've been trying to decide what to buy too!!

Good luck!
Carrie

Roleysmom
12-07-2003, 07:16 PM
The Parents music set is a big hit here as well (pun intended.) Roley got it as a first birthday present and still loves it. She currently walks around with the lady bug xylophone (I know the spelling is way off) and says, "violin, violin."

Other favs from her first birthday:
-- a set of cardbord stacking cubes
-- the Radio Flyer push wagon and the little RF bike
-- Lamaze fish bowl (she actually got that around 9 months and still loves it.)

Paula
Mom to Roley Julia 01-04-02

ScrapNancy
12-08-2003, 10:39 AM
Baby Einstein has a new video coming out (tomorrow, I think) the Baby Einstein Numbers Nursery, I believe. Even if you already have the other ones this is new....and if you don't I highly recommend them. My 7 month old loves Baby Bach and Baby Mozart and my 3 year old niece loved them for ages....Anybody who calls the TV the veg-o-matic has never seen my Bridget watch these videos. She is so excited that she just kicks and kicks and kicks in her bouncer the *whole* time! I'd have to go for a jog to get that much exersize!

My daughter is slightly younger than yours (born 5-9-03) but one of her major gifts is several of the Fisher Price Peek-A-Block toys. She already has the giraffe and is fascinated with it and the blocks. I anticipate that these will grow with her for quite some time.

Hope that was useful!

ScrapNancy
SAHM to Bridget Rose, 5-9-03