Toys for 2.5 yo who puts pens together?

[ZivaZ]

Hi all, my 2.5 yo daughter is outgrowing her toys and I'm wondering if more experienced parents can help me find something to help her continue to develop her curiosity and confidence.

Things she likes to do now:
* take retractable ballpoint pens apart and put them back together (the more parts, the better)
* building & re-building towers out of dominoes or foam blocks, including tunnels for strings to go through
* peg board with tiny pegs or beads (1/4-1/2 inch diameter beads)

Things we're already trying:
* Legos. She likes them but they doesn't hold her interest. Once put together she doesn't take them apart again (unlike the towers & pens)
* marble run. This has been OK, we're considering getting more parts.
* puzzles & tangrams. Once done, she loses interest.

She's a very affectionate kid, and she's starting to show some imagination, for example she's starting to describe her favorite stuffed toy with more characteristics (recently it became a "she" not an "it," has needs (potty, diaper change, drink, hungry), gets owies, slept well, etc.). At daycare and in stores, she likes to play with trains on train tracks. She paints a lot and loves to help cook (mixing, pouring, sometimes peeling fruits or veggies). She is very independent and articulate for such a young sprout.

And ideas?

[IansMom]

DS was similar at that age. Are you concerned about her putting toys in her mouth? DS didnt so I was able to be toys marked one or two years older.

http://www.amazon.com/Gears-®-Beginners-Building-Set/dp/B00000DMCE/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1382012694&sr=1-1&keywords=gears+gears+gears

http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Lights-Action-Building/dp/B000MWXFF8/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1382012656&sr=1-3&keywords=gears+gears+gears

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Brain-Toy-Co-FA031-1/dp/B001PL7R7M/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1382012751&sr=1-1&keywords=Twig


http://www.amazon.com/Lauri-Tall-Stacker-Pegs-Building-Set/dp/B000F9X792/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1382012804&sr=1-1&keywords=tall+stacker+pegs+building+set

http://www.amazon.com/MightyMind-Mighty-Mind-Magnetic/dp/B000RGXEB4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1382012850&sr=1-1&keywords=magnetic+mighty+mind

http://www.amazon.com/KNEX-Education-Kid-Group-Set/dp/B000NGM090/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1382012923&sr=1-1&keywords=Kid+knex

[jam224]

I bet she would like this Candy Construction set: http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-LER5020-Candy-Construction/dp/B006ZMGR5E/. I bought one for DD at Toys R Us a while back and will give it to her for Christmas.

ETA: What about lacing cards? DD will be 2.5 this month and loves them. I bought ours in the dollar section of Target around Christmas-time (I'm pretty sure they were $3). Melissa and Doug make them or there's this set: http://www.amazon.com/Lauri-2117-Toys-Primer-Pak/dp/B00000IV8F/.

[brittone2]

Have you looked at ideas on some of the Montessori sites like forsmallhands ? They often have sets like assembling a flashlight, a nuts and bolts board, etc. My DS1 was like that...loved using an allen wrench to loosen the kinderzeat when he was like 18 months. He is very mechanically inclined to this day...we've just kept feeding it.

You can often set up these ideas on your own without it being from a Montessori catalog ;) I guess you'd want to supervise, but here you go:
http://www.montessoriservices.com/assembling-a-flashlight
http://www.montessoriservices.com/hex-bolt-board
http://www.montessoriservices.com/all-3-boards-of-education

I've seen (maybe on Montessori blogs or on pinterest?) people build a little workbench with a big vertical piece of pegboard that allows kids to attach nuts, bolts, etc. and use real screwdrivers.

Not sure if she's ever used a latches board http://www.yoyo.com/p/melissa-doug-latches-board-6-pc-17012?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_Y&utm_term=MD-089&utm_campaign=Google&CAWELAID=1324514411&utm_content=pla&ci_sku=MD-089&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw={keyword} but below there are some ideas that are like another level up from that.
http://www.pinterest.com/jengod/diy-montessori/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/212865519857031887/

Magnetic wand to work on magnetic/non magnetic? (with supervision obviously)
http://www.pre-kpages.com/muffin-tin-magnet-tray/

magnatiles have been an enormous hit with all 3 kids. I held off forever, thinking they couldn't be that fabulous. I think we own 200 or 300 now. All 3 kids play with them a lot. DD started playing before she was 2, as did my youngest. All 3 still play with them frequently, and they are one of the few kid toys I enjoy playing with ;)