More Toddler Toys

Here is a picture of the peg set I mentioned in the post below. Kids can build with it or you can use it to teach colors, counting, patterns, etc. I've never been disappointed with any product from Lauri.

A friend suggested adding a wooden train set to the list. I agree. I was planning to put it in my elementary toy recommendations, but after she mentioned it I realized my just turned 3 year old spends lots of time playing with ours. He can construct a simple track but really likes it when one of his older siblings builds an elaborate one with lots of hills.

Many wooden track sets are compatible with other sets. We started with a Melissa & Doug set I purchased on eBay. We've added lots of pieces from the Thomas & Friends set. I think Brio also works with these two. I like giving gifts that can be added to over the years. My mom gave Andrew a new accessory for his birthday on Monday.

When we first got our train, I wanted one of the nice train tables with built in storage drawers. I also wanted the track permanently fixed to the table. We couldn't afford a table at the time, so I just bought a big Rubbermaid tub to store it in. That was 5 years ago and it's still in the tub. I am SO glad we didn't attach it to anything. I think our children have enjoyed it MUCH more by being able to build a different track every time they play. It also allows me to be able to store it out of sight for awhile and bring it out again after a few months. (I just learned my friend, Kimberly, is offering her readers a chance to win a train table from Constructive Playthings. Check out her blog for your chance to win.)

A couple of obvious suggestions are baby dolls and cars/trucks. With 4 girls, we have acquired quite a collection of dolls, clothes and other accessories. We've especially enjoyed Bity Baby from the American Girl Company.

Can a little boy have too many cars and trucks? I'm sure you can at some point, but I've seen my big boys (ages 9 and 7) line up over 30 of them and have their own NASCAR race. We have a playmat from Discovery Toys that has a road drawn on it. It is made up of 9 different squares that can be put together in a multitude of different ways. My boys have played with this A LOT. I don't think DT sells this particular mat anymore, but you could search for it on eBay or perhaps find a similar product from Hearthsong.

A Few of My Favorite Things

My friend Kimberly, at Raising Olives ,did a post today on some products she recommends. It gave me the idea to do something similar. I thought some of my friends with younger children might benefit from my many years of collecting toys and books. I am going to share some of our family's favorite toys, games and books with you.

I don't like toys that make lots of noise and whose sole purpose is to entertain. I like toys that require my children to be creative, use thinking skills or help them interact with another sibling. You will probably recognize many of my favorites and some may even be toys you played with as a child

Infant Toys (ages 12mo and under)

I don't think infants need a lot of toys, especially not the ones with flashing lights and lots of sounds. Discovery Toys offers several things that have been favorites here including the super yummy teether and stacking cups among others. Throw in a few multi-sensory toys, something to cuddle and a push toy to encourage walking and you really don't need much more.

(Oops. The shape sorter should be in the next group)


Toddler/Preschool Toys
Some of my favorites at this age are shape sorters, peg puzzles (love Melissa & Doug products), Duplos, building blocks, beads to string, Lauri products (wonderful crepe puzzles and an incredible stacking peg set) and Fisher Price Little People sets. We have added to our Little People collection over the years and now have enough to create a small city.


These Lauri items have kept my preschoolers engaged for hours. If you loose a piece, Lauri will replace it for fifty cents.


One of the many Melissa and Doug peg puzzles we own.


Will made this creation today before I even decided to do this post. I would get rid of almost all of our toys before I would get rid of the blocks. We have a wooden set and a foam set. Many of our wooden blocks have faces drawn on them because the children would pretend they were people and then build a house for them. My 10 year old currently has a 3 story house built with the wooden blocks for her Playmobil family.

This is the first Little People set we purchased. Ashley received it for Christmas when she was two, so this set is 12 years old. We've added the garage, airport, city, castle, fire station and pirate ship.

Our Duplo bricks are also a favorite (Legos for preschoolers). The children enjoy the basic brick but seem to enjoy them more in combination with the animal, farm and people sets we've added. Emily received the people set when she was three. (4 ethnic groups each with a dad, mom, grandparents and 2 children) She lined them all up in rows, set one gentlemen in front and proceeded to have "church."

We also have a Duplo dollhouse which I like a lot. It wasn't cheap, but it was well worth the money. I plan to hang onto it for my grandchildren. When Kathryn first received it she was too young to construct the house, but her older sisters could build it and then she could play with it. The walls and floor of this house come apart and can built in many different ways. You can build a ranch or a 3-story townhouse.

So, what are your favorites?

Coming Next: Elementary suggestions

Luke

Luke turns 9 today. Yes, we have back to back birthdays at our house. This year Luke gets to have a big party and invite friends. He decided to invite several families to play a baseball game. We will be doing that on Saturday.

Luke is an all around good kid. He does well in school and loves to play sports (although most of it is done in the backyard). He played baseball this summer and did very well hitting and playing 3rd base. When he's not in the backyard with a ball in his hand, he loves to read, play with Playmobil and play chess.

Andrew

Andrew turned 3 today. He is an amazingly energetic, constantly talking, full of energy little boy. If you are a friend on Facebook, you've read about the numerous "Andrew Antics." Thankfully the antics have slowed considerably, so I'm hoping the next year will be a little calmer. Andrew definitely keeps me on my toes, but oh, how I love that little guy.

School projects

Last week we completed our first unit of history which included a multi-week study of WWI. Emily created a display board on WWI which included informative articles, poetry, maps and even a love letter from a wife to her soldier on the front line.

Hayley completed a lapbook on various WWI era topics provided by Tapestry of Grace (our history curriculum).

Luke and Will made a salt dough map of the European countries at the beginning of WWI.

Continuing a Tradition

While growing up my mom, and sometimes my aunts, would make a Brunswick stew every year. This was done outside in a large pot over a fire. Stew days hold wonderful memories for me. I remember my grandmothers standing at the kitchen sink peeling potatoes, my Aunt Jean doing her "witch's laugh" while stirring the pot, being reminded MANY times not to let it stick while I was stirring, all of my nearby relatives coming to eat lunch when the stew was ready and my grandmother's apple pie being served for dessert.

My mom and I have made several stews since I've been married, but this year she and my dad came to my house to help me make one. It was today's homeschool lesson.

Here's the recipe we used. It was created by 2 of my dad's sisters. There are probably as many different variations on Brunswick stew as there are people who make it. We used a 10 gallon pot, but you could reduce the recipe and make it on the stove.

10 lbs peeled and diced potatoes

5lbs dried baby lima beans

4 qt chicken broth (may need more)

3 gal tomatoes

5 large onions

8-10 pints corn

1-1 1/2 c. sugar (add 1/2 of this and then more to taste)

1 c. salt (add 1/2 of this and then more to taste)

10 lb cooked beef

10 lb cooked chicken (I use 20lbs of chicken and no beef)

4lbs margarine (I used 3lbs)
3 pods red pepper
black pepper to taste

Put beans in soak the night before. Next morning pour off the water and put beans in the pot. Cover with water and cook until soft. Add onions, potatoes and enough chicken broth to cover. Cook until potatoes are soft.

Add tomatoes. (We use tomatoes that my mom cans. We run them through the blender first.) Add remaining ingredients. Add additional tomatoes or broth to taste and to get desired consistency.

WWI

We are studying WWI in history. In keeping with my desire to make school a little more "fun" this year, I bought WWI army men for my boys. I found American and German soldiers in Hobby Lobby recently. The boys have really enjoyed them. They are looking forward to taking them with us to the beach next week.