What toys do your kids play with most? (esp over 5 yo)

We have birthdays and holidays coming up. We know good toys for young kids,
i.e., brio trains/matchbox cars/legos--the kids played with these from age 2
on, each kid gets nearly 5 yrs regular use. But what are the good toys,
what gets played with the most, over time, by kids OVER 5 or 6 yo? We
have a girl and boys. Do kids start to break off into their own interests,
and you lose the universal toys after 6 or 7?
Thanks.

We have birthdays and holidays coming up. We know good toys for young kids,
i.e., brio trains/matchbox cars/legos--the kids played with these from age 2
on, each kid gets nearly 5 yrs regular use. But what are the good toys,
what gets played with the most, over time, by kids OVER 5 or 6 yo? We
have a girl and boys. Do kids start to break off into their own interests,
and you lose the universal toys after 6 or 7?

Hmmm -- pretty much, yes. However, there's no reason to assume that the boys
won't stay interested in Lego. There's some excellent sets out there with some
very specific themes depending on their interests. I attended my cousin's
eleventh birthday a few weeks back, and he was delighted to get a Lego
Skateboard Park set.

The types of toys appropriate to children is dependent partially on age, but
also interests. Do the kids have a favorite television show? Odds are there's a
toy line based on it. Dora, Spongebob, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles, whatever. All readily available.

Does the girl like arts and crafts? My cousins did and do, and there's a wide
range of such items available at an art store like Michael's, if you have that
in your area.

Do the boys like cars? Hot Wheels and Matchbox are good choices, but there's a
wide range of types and sizes out there. A good sturdy Tonka truck still makes
a good gift.

Hope that helps.

In article ,
(GI Trekker) wrote:

We have birthdays and holidays coming up. We know good toys for young
kids,
i.e., brio trains/matchbox cars/legos--the kids played with these from age 2
on, each kid gets nearly 5 yrs regular use. But what are the good toys,
what gets played with the most, over time, by kids OVER 5 or 6 yo? We
have a girl and boys. Do kids start to break off into their own interests,
and you lose the universal toys after 6 or 7?

Hmmm -- pretty much, yes. However, there's no reason to assume that the boys
won't stay interested in Lego. There's some excellent sets out there with
some
very specific themes depending on their interests. I attended my cousin's
eleventh birthday a few weeks back, and he was delighted to get a Lego
Skateboard Park set.

The types of toys appropriate to children is dependent partially on age, but
also interests. Do the kids have a favorite television show? Odds are there's
a
toy line based on it. Dora, Spongebob, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles, whatever. All readily available.

Does the girl like arts and crafts? My cousins did and do, and there's a wide
range of such items available at an art store like Michael's, if you have
that
in your area.

Do the boys like cars? Hot Wheels and Matchbox are good choices, but there's
a
wide range of types and sizes out there. A good sturdy Tonka truck still
makes
a good gift.

Hope that helps.



I also think it is vital to offer toys to both boys and girls that cross
the gender expectation line. To look to arts and crafts for girls, and
legos and cars and trucks for boys is to reinforce gender stereotyping.
You may well have a girl who doesn't want to play with cars and trucks,
or a boy who isn't into arts and crafts -- but you may have boys and
girls who both like it all, and will enjoy it all if it is all there and
offered to them. I often bought toys that I didn't think my kids were
interested in. Sometimes, they sat on the shelf. But just often enough,
they surprised me to make me glad that I didn't limit their toys to what
they already showed an interest in.

meh
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

Vicki wrote:

We have birthdays and holidays coming up. We know good toys for
young kids,
i.e., brio trains/matchbox cars/legos--the kids played with these
from age 2
on, each kid gets nearly 5 yrs regular use. But what are the good toys,
what gets played with the most, over time, by kids OVER 5 or 6 yo? We
have a girl and boys. Do kids start to break off into their own
interests,
and you lose the universal toys after 6 or 7?


Kids do develop their own interests. We have two boys
older than 5 (they're 8.5 and 6 years old). Requested toys
around here are pretty much Lego, K'nex, Game Boy (or other
computer games), Yu-Gi-Oh, action figures of almost any sort,
Bey Blades, etc. We also do more and more gifts of time and
energy rather than more stuff, particularly for birthdays
(e.g., going out to see a show or going to a special event
the child really wants).

Best wishes,
Ericka

x-no-archive:yes
Ericka Kammerer wrote:

Vicki wrote:

We have birthdays and holidays coming up. We know good toys for
young kids, i.e., brio trains/matchbox cars/legos--the kids played with these
from age 2 on, each kid gets nearly 5 yrs regular use. But what are the good toys,
what gets played with the most, over time, by kids OVER 5 or 6 yo? We
have a girl and boys. Do kids start to break off into their own interests,
and you lose the universal toys after 6 or 7?

Kids do develop their own interests. We have two boys
older than 5 (they're 8.5 and 6 years old). Requested toys
around here are pretty much Lego, K'nex, Game Boy (or other
computer games), Yu-Gi-Oh, action figures of almost any sort,
Bey Blades, etc. We also do more and more gifts of time and
energy rather than more stuff, particularly for birthdays
(e.g., going out to see a show or going to a special event
the child really wants).

I want to add that one doesn't have to restrict boys or girls to what
one thinks of as appropriate toys for a boy or appropriate toys for a
girl. I personally am more apt to try to expand a girl grandchild's
horizons with a more masculine toy than v.v.

I have two grandchildren in the same family that were born in the same
month two years apart. I sent both gifts at the same time in a
package together (from a catalog). The 'boys' gift was opened first
for the girl's birthday and she was delighted with it. Then when the
boy's birthday came along the gift wasn't suitable (it was a somewhat
fru fru jewelry making kit, which the girl already had) so his mom
returned it and replaced it.

This same girl asked me for and received K'nex. She's now 21 years
old and her mom says they still haven't finished it - that it has
thousands of pieces. She's a senior engineering student in Troy NY.

(This came up because her little brother - age 9- got a similar
present from me. I gave him the money and he got a Skyrail
Quercetti with it.)

I gave his older brother a carom board one Xmas and he was thrilled
with it.

I try to give each family a game appropriate to the children's ages
each year that the whole family can play. I've also given magazines
and books.

grandma Rosalie

I also think it is vital to offer toys to both boys and girls that cross
the gender expectation line. To look to arts and crafts for girls, and
legos and cars and trucks for boys is to reinforce gender stereotyping.

Oh, please, spare me the PC rhetoric. I really thought that sort of nonsensical
thinking went out by the 1980's. Boys and girls ARE different. Now, if the boys
do show interest in crafts, or the girl in trucks, fine and well. But don't
force it on them thinking you're going to break down "gender stereotyping" or
some such nonsense. The differences between boys and girls are very real, and
trying to negate them will only hurt the children.

"GI Trekker" wrote:

: Oh, please, spare me the PC rhetoric. I really thought
that sort of nonsensical
: thinking went out by the 1980's. Boys and girls ARE
different. Now, if the boys
: do show interest in crafts, or the girl in trucks, fine
and well. But don't
: force it on them thinking you're going to break down
"gender stereotyping" or
: some such nonsense.

As opposed to reinforcing it by only buying trucks and guns
for boys, and dolls and carriages for girls? How about
simply offering a selection of toys without directing the
child's interest based on gender? Yes, boys and girls are
different, even within the gender. It is lovely to allow
them to find their differences by offering them a non-gender
driven choice of things with which to play

: The differences between boys and girls are very real, and
: trying to negate them will only hurt the children

How is it negating their differences by not following toy
stereotypes?
--
Ruth B -- Remove the blinders to send email

Stewie (reading the Bible): "My my, what a thumping good
read, lions eating Christians, people nailing each other to
two by fours. I'll say, you won't find that in Winnie the
Pooh."


..


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My girls are 11, 8 and 6 and what gets played with her the most is Barbies,
Pollypockets, dress up, lots of pretend play, house with dolls. Coloring,
crayons, play-doh and books are always a hit here.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)
I'm Just a Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World...

Vicki wrote in message
...
We have birthdays and holidays coming up. We know good toys for young
kids,
i.e., brio trains/matchbox cars/legos--the kids played with these from age
2
on, each kid gets nearly 5 yrs regular use. But what are the good toys,
what gets played with the most, over time, by kids OVER 5 or 6 yo? We
have a girl and boys. Do kids start to break off into their own
interests,
and you lose the universal toys after 6 or 7?
Thanks.

"Ruth Baltopoulos" wrote in message
news:fFBgb.705120$uu5.115925@sccrnsc04...
"GI Trekker" wrote:

: Oh, please, spare me the PC rhetoric. I really thought
that sort of nonsensical
: thinking went out by the 1980's. Boys and girls ARE
different. Now, if the boys
: do show interest in crafts, or the girl in trucks, fine
and well. But don't
: force it on them thinking you're going to break down
"gender stereotyping" or
: some such nonsense.

As opposed to reinforcing it by only buying trucks and guns
for boys, and dolls and carriages for girls? How about
simply offering a selection of toys without directing the
child's interest based on gender? Yes, boys and girls are
different, even within the gender. It is lovely to allow
them to find their differences by offering them a non-gender
driven choice of things with which to play

: The differences between boys and girls are very real, and
: trying to negate them will only hurt the children

How is it negating their differences by not following toy
stereotypes?

Good points. Can you finally respond to a strong logical
argument to your words, GI, or will you just ignore again?


P. Tierney

(GI Trekker) wrote in
:

I also think it is vital to offer toys to both boys and girls that
cross the gender expectation line. To look to arts and crafts for
girls, and legos and cars and trucks for boys is to reinforce gender
stereotyping.

Oh, please, spare me the PC rhetoric. I really thought that sort of
nonsensical thinking went out by the 1980's. Boys and girls ARE
different. Now, if the boys do show interest in crafts, or the girl in
trucks, fine and well. But don't force it on them thinking you're
going to break down "gender stereotyping" or some such nonsense. The
differences between boys and girls are very real, and trying to negate
them will only hurt the children.


she didn't say she forced it on them. she said she bought toys & left
them on the shelf, to be played with or not as the child wished. it's far
worse to buy gender specific toys for a kid without knowing thier
interests. i have always disliked "girly" toys. i detest pink & frills.
it took me until i was 12 to convince family that i *did not want* dolls
& crap for gifts. i appreciated that i was given a gift, but i had a
closet full of dolls & girl crap i never ever touched. i got a cap gun
for my 12th birthday. it was the best present i ever got!
i'm never going to assume any child likes any particular type of toy
unless i *ask* first. i would have died for a sandbox full of Tonka
trucks... instead i got dolls
lee bitter? me?