What's on your Xmas List for your toddler?

[Blenheim]

Books - G's favorite books right now are "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight" and the "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You Hear?" series. He asks for us to read both of them to him every day. We are getting him 'How Do Dinosaurs Love Their Dogs" for Christmas, as we think he will enjoy it and he kind of needs the extra help in that arena. He loves them to death, but keeps trying to ride them and poke them with forks.

I know that he is getting a train table and a Tonka dump truck from family.

We're trying to decide what else to get him, still. We were debating between a play kitchen (he loves "helping" in the kitchen) and a Wheely Bug (also loves anything with wheels and they are CUTE), but then ana-white.com posted plans for a play workbench yesterday that DH likes more than the other ideas. I am not so sure. G also loves tools and tries to imitate us, and does things like find a random hammer we forgot to put away properly then start to "helpfully" hammer a window with it - stopped him just in the nick of time from that one. The idea of a workbench near our TV, even with play tools, makes me cringe a little bit. I think that imitating us cooking is a bit safer. But I am not sure if we will be able to fit both a play kitchen and a train table.

Does anyone know of play tools that look like real tools and include a drill, just in case we do go that route? The drill is his favorite tool, followed by the hammer, and he tends to like the "real thing" and not toddler imitations of it. Or are tools not that good of an idea?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Blen, Target has realistic looking toy tools.

 

[lizzyann]

My 19 month old son loves musical instruments so we bought him this set a couple of months ago and he LOVES it!!!! So I recommend this one for anyone looking for a smaller musical set! http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3100914

He also loves tools, so I picked him up this for Christmas. This way if we are going to a friends house or something we can take this with us to entertain him and it will be easy to keep all the tools together in their! http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4040786

I also got him a big dump truck, a grocery cart with play food, some melissa and doug wooden puzzles, a couple of cars. We also want to get him his own stool, and a horse. Something like this but maybe smaller if I can find it! http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.asp...60+4294965726&Nao=0&PSO=0&CmCatId=52440|77742 He rides all my long spoons and his drumsticks around the house so I think he'll like the horse!! Ha ha!!!

 

[turtledazzle]

FYI: Barnes and Noble is has BOGO 50% off for certain Melissa and Doug products, and they're also offering free shipping for orders over $25. I am on their email list and got an email about it ... not sure if you have to be a subscriber or not to get the deal.

 

[Mara]

speaking of toys, has anyone checked out HealthyToys.org? I just discovered it today.

It's depressing to see their list of top 200 items and what the chemical levels are. the Leapfrog Learning Table which J just loves has high levels of bromine in it. and a lot of Circo's Target clothes have bromine in the tags and the printed elements like the Circo logo etc. kind of scary. what can the kids play with these days?!?!

 

[sunkist]

Penn - About the boys having dolls idea, I totally think they should!, it teaches caring and fatherly love. But we call it our sons "baby", not a "doll" which does make it sound girly. My brother was the 1 boy with 4 sisters and he really wanted a doll like the rest of us. He called it his "baby" and carried it hooked under his arm while stomping around wearing his cowboy vest, hat, and boots. Cutest thing ever!

Mellissa and Doug Piano-- We got this for W's one year birthday last month because he is always drawn to pianos. We got a great deal at FAO Swartz - $17!! instead of $70? normal price. So it was totally worth it at that price. He loves it, plays on it everyday. Not sure if a child over 2 or 3 would play it everyday though.

 

[TravelingGal]

OK, I decided what to get my kid...as I said, she seems to not be interested in toys, but loves gadgets (right now, I can't seem to find my desk calculator! Bah!)

I'm going to get her a digital camera. While I'd love to find a cheap "real" one, I'm going to try to start with the kiddie one first. Should be about $40 and we'll see how she likes it and I can go on from there. Maybe she will love photography (I know right now she really loves looking at them). Hopefully this toy will have longevity.

For her birthday, I'm getting her a real keyboard. If it bombs, at least I can use it as I play and can sing songs to her, which I know she loves.

 

[lili]

Hmmm....camera...that's an idea.
I wonder if J might like it since she's always fiddling w/ our camera.

What type of keyboard are you thinking about TGal?
Electronic?

 

[TravelingGal]

Hmmm....camera...that's an idea.
I wonder if J might like it since she's always fiddling w/ our camera.

What type of keyboard are you thinking about TGal?
Electronic?

I really am hoping this gift works. She asks me to see pictures on a daily basis and will pose now if it means she can see the pics. I just am wondering if it looks too much like a toy, if she won't be interested. But the cheapest cheapie camera I am finding right now is $60 or so.

I'm thinking an electronic "real" one. I also deal with the music industry and can get one at cost plus 10% so I can save some real money. Nothing fancy...just entry level that she can bang on and I can play simple toddler songs on. I just asked my contacts in the Music channel for some brand recommendations in the entry level class.

 

[janinegirly]

I think that's a good idea TGAl! C also loves cameras and we have countless self portraits of her eye, nostril, feet. The toy ones will never convince her though but I'm too cheap to buy the actual one. I found a FP recorder that actually works, so am tempted to pick that up.

I'm tempted by quite a few things now, so I need to figure out what will should be keepers. I have vacuum cleaner, broom set, Little People Bus, M&D Ice Cream set on maybe list. Feel free to convince me out of anything..I already got her a lot of gifts!

 

[janinegirly]

speaking of keyboards, has anyone picked up the toy pianos (M&D,etc.)- are they worth it?