Anyone owns Holztiger figures?? Some questions please!

[aliceinwonderland]

What age is appropriate? Is this basically the equivalent of Little People I hear about all the time (but have never seen)? Is there a house/farm that goes with, or just the figures. At 12$/piece, YIKES! ANy alternatives??

MANY, many thanks!

[nitaghei]

Eri,

Yes, Holztiger is sick expensive. There is a stable that goes with - but it's over $100, I think. I have a complete Holztiger price list somewhere that I can dig up, if you're interested.

Here is a link to the Holztiger home page, to view the entire line:

http://tinyurl.com/buamf

The animals are beautiful, and DS loves them. But we only have 3 - a cow, a rabbit and a white tiger right now, because of the price. I do intend to keep adding to the collection - but it's going to a long, slow process.

At Erik's age - I'd say go for the Little People. Neel really liked the LP stuff, and he liked that he had lots and lots of animals. They have held up pretty well. And I don't have a panic attack if one gets misplaced. :)

One thing I did do was get a vintage LP farm off Ebay, with no noise or electronic stuff, and the details were simpler. It's been a huge hit. I also didn't put the batteries in the Zoo (though DH insisted on putting them in the Airport).

We also have a soft farm from IKEA - which he also likes.

What exactly are you looking for? A wood farm? I think I saw a wood barn that was a lot less $$$ than Holztiger in the Discount School Supply catalog.

The Holztiger stuff is gorgeous, but I'm having a hard time justifying the $$$$, even though I drool over my catalog regularly. My current plan is to have an additional piece or two for birthdays and holidays. I'm also planning on getting him a Nativity set for this Chirstmas, and then keep adding a piece every year - so my grandchildren will have all this cool Holztiger stuff to play with. :)

Nita (wool is my crack)
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

[brittone2]

Eri...
DS has 4 dinosaurs, and I'd like to add more. He's not super into them yet but will carry them around with him.

I originally thought they were pretty pricey, as did DH, but once they arrived, I *totally* understood the fuss. Seriously, DH even said they look like artwork.

Kinderkram and Ostheimer also make similar toys. I don't know who makes what exactly, but there are castle/knight sets by one of those companies. The would sort of be used like Little People. I can't remember if there is a farm or not, but you can buy them from WAHM parents that make home-made type barns/castles too.

HTH. We love ours and after seeing them think they are well worth the $$$. DS is 15 months BTW.

[brittone2]

We have the Ikea soft farm too and Love it. Very cute for the price...about $30. Sort of a soft version of the Little People farm.

[aliceinwonderland]

I don't quite know what I want...I never know what toys to buy and my kid is bored...I'm spending $100 I don't have on this recent oompa coop, and can't decide.When I do decide, the thing is sold out. Sigh, yes, I'm a tad frustrated (sorry)....

[zuzu]

We’ve been collecting them slowly too, and decided to go with sort of a theme (or I’d never be able to choose!) We have some of the larger sized jungle animals and I love them (maybe still more that Sarah does at this point ;) ). They are definitely something children can pass along to their own kids someday. When Sarah was one, we were given the older (non battery) LP farm that Nita mentioned, and that has been fun too. I’d think that that set or the IKEA soft farm would be better for a one year old. I think at age one, it helped Sarah to have the barn, because her capacity for imaginary play wasn’t as developed as it is now. Now she will make her own makeshift barn out of various things, whereas before I think it helped her to put the animals in context while playing. (Not sure if that makes any sense.) There may be some nice, lesser expensive wooden sets geared toward the younger set, but I couldn’t justify shopping for one at the time because we were given the LP set. We were planning to get the IKEA set, but never got around to it. If you really like the Holztiger figures, it's not too early to start collecting. . .

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[nitaghei]

Eri,

Keep it simple. Erik is about 14 months, right? Neel loved balls of all kinds at that age. He liked the LP farm and zoo - mostly liked collecting all the animals and putting them into a larger container, or moving them around on the floor. He had a few little cars he liked to push, too. He still likes most of these things. Oh yes, the hot favorite of all time - household items, including plastic containers (tupperware, rubbermaid) and brooms.

And, IME, Neel actually plays better if he has fewer toys out. Even though he has far fewer toys than his peers, I still believe he has too many.

Oh yes - almost forgot - Megablocks/ Duplos - Neel has LOVED these since he was about Erik's age. We got him the Megablock bus for his first Christmas, and DH insisted on the wagon this past year. Yes, they're plastic, but there isn't a decent wood alterative. And these are great toys, in a lot of ways. And fairly inexpensive.

HTH

Nita (wool is my crack)
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

[MelissaTC]

We have a bunch of animals- tiger, tiger cubs, lion, panda, rabbit, polar bear and a few more I can't remember. We also inherited a bunch of HABA animals so he plays with them together. I keep them in his room so they won't get chewed on by the dogs or ruined in rough play. At Erik's age, Matthew was big into cars (not that anything has changed!) and really did love his Little People. But I would say that the imaginative play really didn't come in until this past year. I hear him now, doing voices for his trains, Little People, cars, etc.. If I knew then what I know now, I would probably just have gotten DS the airport or the ramps around garage. He loves to play with his matchbox cars on the airport (matchbox cars love to take a ride on the Thomas's Magic Railroad also!). Noah's Ark was also a big hit. Noah and his wife are buried in a pile somewhere but DS LOVES the animals. He also likes to pack the ark with his ABC blocks and matchbox cars!

[aliceinwonderland]

I'm a LP virgin...I sought them out at Target and just glanced at them for the first time last night--the airport and ramp you mention, what are those? Sorry I'm so ignorant!! THANKS!

[MelissaTC]

This is the garage aka ramp. It is different from the older version. I think the older version is better. http://www.fisher-price.com/US/img/product_shots/B1832_b_1.jpg
Older version- http://i2.ebayimg.com/01/i/04/01/fc/79_1_b.JPG

The airport has changed as well although the previous airport does take up a lot of room.

Does Erik like to play with cars? When Matthew was Erik's age, we gave him a couple of chunky toddler cars and bought a few Matchbox cars for him to play with. Since you like wood toys, perhaps you would consider investing in a set like this from Constructive Playthings- http://www.constplay.com/constplay.com/family/product_images/CPX-944L.jpg

They also have a garage that is plastic - http://www.constplay.com/constplay.com/family/product_images/RED-54L.jpg

Edited to add that you can check out the Little People at the Fisher Price website - http://www.fisher-price.com/US/littlepeople/default_flash.asp It looks like the airport is no longer on the website. Perhaps it is discontinued. I know there was a train set as well (we have it brand new in the garage!). You might want to check ebay? http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-9/840502/airport.jpg

A set like the above two will last you a long time. It is definitely something Erik can grow into. I can honestly say that other than animals (wood and plastic), cars/trucks/trains are the only other toys that he has been playing with since Erik's age and has lost no interest. In fact, his interest has only grown.

HTH!

[Mom2Miri]

We got the Holztigers for DD for her 2nd birthday but she would have loved them before that. They are definitely worth their price IMHO. Not only are they gorgeous but DD loves them and could play with them all day long. She plays with 2 or 3 at a time and pretends all sorts of things with them and has them interact with everything in the house. She actually likes the smaller ones best and they only run ~$5-8 a piece.

As for Little People, she just never liked them. Wouldn't play with the people or the buildings when she was younger and still won't touch them at friends' homes. Every kid is different. :)

HTH,
Helen & Mirielle 2/25/03

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif[/img][/url] 27 months and counting

[papal]

Well.. you know what I am going to say... lol. Less is more. It is not so much about wood versus plastic.. it is more about getting TOO much for your buck if it is plastic...too much is overwhelming and also a PITA to keep track of and maintain.
So, if I were you, I would spend my $100 to get 4-5 holtz animals.. and add on later. At Erik's age, I don't think a farm or barn is a requirement.
Another fun toy is the little wooden car with 2 'people' in it. And thomas trains are a big hit too. I don't keep the tracks out just yet.. Leela does not have a concept of putting them together or putting the trains on the track so far.
http://www.novanatural.com/product.phtml?pr=2665&sec=117

[ett]

Rashmi - I pm'ed you.

[aliceinwonderland]

Very intrigued by the constructive playthings set you posted...Off to search the web for it :)

[aliceinwonderland]

for me it's not how much to get, it's basically that I am *clueless* as to what to get...I wish there was a book that told you what toys to buy by age...I think I overestimate my kid and go buy things like wood puzzles that he proceeds to eat. His favorite toy right now is a three-wheeled truck...The wheel fell off and we can't fix it. Bought him a new truck, but he goes back to his three-wheeled one. Go figure! :)

[ett]

Eri - I completely understand how you feel. There are so much toys out in the market and a lot of it is not any good. Yet all the manufacturers make you feel like you need all of them! My suggestion for you would be to try out different toys with Erik since you're not sure what he'll really like. You can get a couple of the Holztiger figures and a little people set and see what he's interested in. Of course it sometimes takes a while for them to be interested in a toy. Don't give up hope if he doesn't care for it at the beginning - he may take to it later. It does feel like a total letdown when you give your kid a new toy that you think he'll love, yet he's more interested in the box it came in.

Don't worry about getting all the "right" toys for Erik. I don't think any of us know what they all are!

[papal]

ahhh... i think we ALL have the same problem!! There is no guarantee that a toy will be loved or not! Sometimes, like PP said, it takes them a while to warm to the toy.. so don't give up if he does not show interest in it. I like to have toys that have some lasting value.. like a puzzle. First they eat the pieces.. then they throw the pieces.. then they stack the pieces.. then they put them in and take them out of a container.. then one day they actually make the puzzle. lol.
So keep the toys out, soon he will play with them... and don't get frustrated if he does not play with them 'correctly'. :)

[papal]

ahhh... i think we ALL have the same problem!! There is no guarantee that a toy will be loved or not! Sometimes, like PP said, it takes them a while to warm to the toy.. so don't give up if he does not show interest in it. I like to have toys that have some lasting value.. like a puzzle. First they eat the pieces.. then they throw the pieces.. then they stack the pieces.. then they put them in and take them out of a container.. then one day they actually make the puzzle. lol.
So keep the toys out, soon he will play with them... and don't get frustrated if he does not play with them 'correctly'. :)

[chlobo]

Eri,

I have the same problem. I feel like I have no clue what to buy - whether its quality or not. I went to yard sales this spring to buy some outdoor stuff and so far she's only mildly interested in this stuff (cozy car, wagon, slide). As for indoor stuff - I'm totally lost. However, since the Oompa coop is ending I think I am going to buy some stuff and hope for the best. Haba has some really cute stuff.

BTW, I have some little people stuff (have had it for months) and DD really doesn't care for it. Repeat this scenario for any toy that the majority of other kids *love*.

[brittone2]

Just wanted to add...even if Erik isn't ready for something like the Holztiger items, he'll most likely grow into them eventually so it isn't like you are losing $$, kwim?

Honestly, DS just primarily plays with what we have around the house. He takes the lids off and on saucepans, puts things inside, closes them up, and repeats ;) I truly believe until pretend play kicks in, they really only need the most basic, basic, basic stuff. What we do all day is fascinating to them...so they want to check out the "stuff" in our homes more than toys (at least my DS does).

Balls are played with now at 15 months, and he liked them even a little bit earlier. He was very into stacking toys around 12-14 months but he's kind of "over" these for the most part now except for every once in a while as he has pretty much mastered the several kinds that we have. He has a short interest in shape sorters and puzzles (most shape sorters are beyond his level at this point but he likes doing in/out with them).

At a year, DS made his own shape sorter (LOL) by playing with an O ball and seeing what objects would fit in the larger holes and what would fit through the smaller holes. So...they find ways to master those skills even if you don't necessarily provide the stuff marketed for those purposes.

How about something like a few simple musical instruments? DS doesn't play a ton with his but he does go to them consistently for short periods of time and was interested around 12 months of age or so. A simple tambourine, maracas, etc. Again, if he doesn't have an interest these are fun for playgroups or he may grow into them eventually so I wouldn't consider them a total waste. Kids even well into kindergarten are often interested in instruments.

Does he have a push toy? DS likes walking with his even though he can walk on his own, and down the road it can be a shopping cart or a doll stroller...so it has continued play value IMHO.

DS became interested slightly in a simple doll about a month or two ago. He isn't really into pretending with it yet but he likes to point to body parts on the doll and will give it kisses. I think he'll grow into that one eventually too.

I wish I had some good answers for you but I just don't believe you need much at all. If you are definitely interested in buying, I'd look at where he is and what is soon to come developmentally and try to find a toy that fits that, kwim? So if you see him doing lots of in/out, maybe he's ready for a shape sorter. If you see him trying to stack things, maybe buy a set of stacking cups. Of course, if you don't buy it he'll probably still just figure out a way to keep doing it with what you have at home ;) So really, I'm no help at all LOL.

ETA: how about a few basic train pieces, even some cheapo ones like the simple set from Ikea? We started buying these a few months ago and DS pushes them around a little bit. Since Erik is into his sad 3 wheeled truck (how cute btw) maybe he'd go for a train eventually? I don't expect DS to understand how to put them on the track or anything yet, but he likes carrying them into restaurants and he likes when we "drive" them over his body, up and down arms/legs ;) Again, something to grow into but you could buy a few and he could probably get some enjoyment out of them in the meantime.

[aliceinwonderland]

LOL. Thanks for your post, very informative. Erik never took an interested in stacking, and both you and Jude mentioned this being something your kiddos did--We have wood rings, five million blocks, and some neat (plastic) buckets we got at kidsurplus that stack into each other and make a huge tower, and Erik was only interested in knocking down what DH or I built...To my recollection he's never stacked a thing...Oh, I am worried now...We don't have a shape sorter, looked at Target but they only had a plastic, ugly one, so I'mm off to search the net.

He does have a new truck and puts stuff in its cargo and dumps it out and drives it around the house...I did get hima small, cheapo doll at target, but he loved it for a minute or two. Occasionally he'll put in in the back of his truck (lol)

Thanks again,
eri

[MelissaTC]

Don't worry about him stacking just yet. I don't recall Matthew stacking at that age at all. I DO remeber him knocking down anything WE stacked! He also didn't get into the shape sorter until he was around 17-18 months. Matthew has a little cheapo doll from Target as well. He likes to throw it around!

[papal]

Leela started stacking at 19 months! So don't worry.. she was and is mostly a destroyer of neat piles and stacks...maybe there are destroyer babies and stacker babies.

[brittone2]

Don't sweat him not stacking yet ;)

The O ball is this:
http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/rhi1051-01.html

It is plastic but PVC/latex free...

[The Review Mommy]

Eri,
There is a book out that may be of help to you. You can even pre-read it on Amazon. It's called: The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. They also have a web site with some age recommended toys (www.toyportfolio.com). This would be a great book for Grandma to have too. Just make sure you buy a new edition. I think they come out with a new one every year.

If you've got a neighbor or friend with some of these toys you're thinking about I'd see if they would let you test them out. Every child is different and finding the right toys are mostly trail and error.

In my opinion the toys of today are stimulation overload. With flashing lights and sounds etc. it leaves little to the imagination. I try to buy toys that are timeless classics, back to the basics. There are some great companies out there, not just the local TRS!

Best Wishes!
-Rebekah

[tarahsolazy]

Forrest repetitively bites the head of his Target dolly. Its sort of disturbing, LOL! He also cannot stack at 15mo, and cannot point to body parts. Alas, I guess he's no genius! He likes to walk around carrying varied objects all day, like a plastic toy hoe and rake, my slipper, a bottle of baby Tylenol, etc. A man of simple pleasures.

[aliceinwonderland]

But I have told DH that I do not want a genius kid, just a perfectly average, middle of the pack, normal child.

I just had a vision of Forrest and Erik as adults wearing plaid shirts and drinking cheap beer. Oy!

[brittone2]

You guys are so funny. Logan's favorite toy of the moment is a "tea ball" (yes, the round mesh ball on a small chain for brewing loose tea). He carries it all around the house and shakes it. He's not so big on the toys...just the random household objects ;)

[Corie]

Hi Nita!

Can I ask you where you got your Holztiger catalog?
I would love to get one too! :)


Thanks!