Playdoh

Parents, hear me now. You will buy lots of Playdoh. The end. I have a love/hate relationship with Playdoh because it’s just such an excellent activity for kids from early on (and adults, so it’s fun to play along), but it does dry out and needs to be replaced because it starts cracking up and won’t knead well after a while. Try and make sure that the dough is packed back into the containers as soon as it’s not being used any more, and that should help extend it’s usefulness. I’ve tried adding a bit of water and other liquids but nothing really helps keep it moist except keeping it sealed up when not in use.

Toy Kitchens

A wonderful role play toy, a toy kitchen allows toddlers to start imitating Mom and Dad in the kitchen, cooking up imaginary feasts and washing up after.

I rate Little Tikes kitchens highly – they are sturdy but light, washable and very durable. Very. Like ours is probably more than 10 years old (we got it at a local garage sale).

You could also do with getting a few implements like pots, cups, plates, plastic food and maybe an apron!

Ride-on Cars

The larger ride-on cars like the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe may be a little big and heavy for smaller kids and I do find the movement a little restricted because the hole is beneath the car, so an excellent alternative is a pushbike-like ride-on car like the second one shown on the left (the Little Tikes My First Cozy Coupe Walker Ride On).

These are also great toys that last for years, although you’ll probably want to move it out the house as the speed increases!

Plush Toys / Stuffed Animals

Yes, it’s true you can find plush toys everywhere, however, since your little one will be playing with them for a couple of years, please, please avoid the heartache of torn and frayed out toys by investing in good quality plush toys like those you’ll find from Gund.

We like Gund stuffed toys – they are typically very soft and have beanbags in the butt and sometimes in the paws so they can sit and stand.