top toys for the money

[jodi]

Ok, I know some of the best toys are empty yogurt containers, cardboard boxes, a pile of dirt, etc...but when you do buy toys, which are the best for the money? I would like to hear others thoughts on this (especially since my son's birthday is coming up...)

Some of my favorites:
Leap Frog Fridge Farm - has animal magnets that you can put together to hear the sound they make, also plays tunes that my two both loved to bounce too - about $10-15
MagnaDoodle - very reasonably priced at about $10 - has provided so much entertainment for both my boys. The youngest just discovered it this week and has not put it down.
Legos - I got all of these at thrift stores or garage sales, but again - hours of entertainment. Endless possibilities.
Shape sorters, blocks

Granted, I am geared toward the pre-school toys...but would love to hear what my boys will likely be into in a few years if anyone has older kids.

[sweeps]

Stacking cups

[jodi]

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention those! At my younger son's first birthday party, he got a mountain of toys. What did he carry around ALL NIGHT? A set of stacking cups from the $1 store

[lrjohnson]

I was really big on board games as a child. Some games are useable through many years through adulthood: Monopoly, Sorry, Othello, Scrabble.

[PRICEPLUS]

Ditto!

[jodi]

I guess I could mention the one thing that amused my brothers and I over the years more than anything else...a deck of cards. From rummy to Crazy Eights, then graduating to pitch, spades, and hearts, finally to pinochle (the FAVORITE!), we were raised to play cards. And you can get a deck for $1. I guess you can always teach the kids solitaire too for a little quiet time

[tgavin71]

My children are girl 7 and boy 9. The toys that I find are the best value are

1. xbox
2. playdough
3. Playing cards
4. Dress up clothes. My daughter loves pretty flowing dressing that cost me 50c at the op shop.
5. Skateboard
6. Push bike
7 Barbies

[Crystallas]

Legos

[PrincessPerky]

A couple small dolls and a few pieces of furniture (a table and a bed, and some chairs)
I have no idea how much my mother paid way back when, but my DD and son love playing with them now.

A dinosaur or a truck, doesn't have to be any specific truck or dinosaur (though Trex is recomended) it still keeps my son busy for hours.

A sword...really rather entertaining, ours are wooden, though you can make it out of cardboard if you fear for injury. A shield goes nicely, but I havn't gotten around to that yet.

paper, and crayons..endless fun!

For anyone with younger kids and older, duplos are a good comprimise, big enough not to be eaten, but still endless possibilities for building.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I agree with many posted and will add these that must be purchased or shared from the general household supplies:

Balls of all kinds. Light weight bouncy ones like they sell even in the grocery stores. Beach balls both for use in the water and out, baseballs, basketballs, soccer balls, football, "superballs," pink rubber balls, benbag balls, kooshballs....ALL BALLS!

Hammer, nails, wood scraps. From about age and up.

Scrap wire of various guages. Can be used to make jewelry, wire axles back on to broken trucks, reattach broken toy parts, make crystal raido antenna, make little sculpture. Lots of uses if you encourage your kids to think. I used to be able to get ahold of wonderful coated copper telephone wire, but would now have to buy wire for the kids and it would be worth it.

Rope. Kids can use rope for so much and in a lot of pretend play. Can use it to make quick tents just by throwing a sheet or tarp over a single rope streched tight between trees. Jump ropes. Swings, too, of course. And every kid needs a chance to tie her wagon to the back of her bike to tow her stufffed animals of little siblings.

Swing-set / out door play structures. ids that love to be outdoors in unstructured plasy will use these quite a bit. Sometimes it may be only for a couple of minutes at a time, but it may use it a dozen times a day. There is a lot that can be done with an A-frame swing set or the fancier types of structures.

Swimming pools/wading pools. Even just rubbermaid tubs filled with water outdoors, especially if you can set them out on the lawn in a spot that needs water and allow them to keep use the hose to refill as the tub gets emptied. Imagine the giddiness of 3 or 4 little kids trying to stuff themselves all into the same large rubbermaid container and how the water flows out as they sitdown together!

Outdoor playhouse. If it is bigger than the Little Tykes type plastic house, kids will use them several more years. All made one with a good roof on it can persist years later as a garden feature and place to store the bigger "toys" and outdoor gear of teenage years. Allow the kids to help you build a playhouse and they will get a lot out of the construction.

Sheets, blankets, tarps, large fabric scraps. Endless uses.

A wagon. Again, endless uses.

"Interactive books" (Lift the flap such as the Spot books, texture exploration books such as Touch the Bunny, books of mazes, hidden picture books, Where's Waldo type books, books with limited puch button audio features, fold out picture books.) from babyhood through about age ten, but I see these, especially in the baby years until the child can read as _social_ toys. Don't expect your children to play with the books by themselves. You must be willing to "do" the book with your child.'

Riding toys for toddlers through bicycles for odler kids. Tricylces, bigwheels, scooters, skateboards, skates---the works! Kids love being able to propel themselves! I remember my oldest wore out three cheap plastic riding toys as a toddler. I am not at all keen on those battery powered automobiles that can't be used past about age six. As a once in a while special thing at a party, they'd be fine. But they just don't give that much return of value for money spent, plus they can be a storage problem. For a few kids they might be good investments. It depends on the kid and where they live. You need a good place to use them and easy access to their storage place. Too often they end up a hassle.