Toys We Love That Grow with Your Child

A tribute to the best toys of my kids’ childhood. One of the greatest joys of being a Mom is watching my kids play as they grow. Instead of talking about the “hottest toys of the season,” here are the toys my kids can’t stop playing with regardless of age. They are open ended, encourage creativity and imagination, and have withstood the test of time.

Magnet Tiles

My kids first played with Magnet Tiles at the Springville library back in 2017, and have been W’s go-to toy ever since. Magnet tiles were our #1 must-have toy when downsizing, and surviving the pandemic! Kids will have more fun with enough tiles to play with friends and be able to build bigger creations. Windows and rounded pieces have enriched play. W has even put a little night light inside to make the colors shine.

Doodle Pads / Art

These doodle pads were gifted last Easter, and allow for unlimited drawing. They are used regularly and were super affordable so I consider them a good value. The kids practice their art and like to write messages on them. They are great for church, road trips, waiting rooms, and any time you need low-tech entertainment for quiet time.

Kids are natural artists, so I’ve loved gifts that will help them express themselves or unleash their imagination in tangible ways. We’ve gifted washable paint, easels and art aprons, watercolor pencils that you add water to after drawing for a cool effect, and other art supplies.

Legos

Our kids have loved Legos since they were old enough to play safely. For younger kids, larger blocks like Mega Blocks work well. They can rebuild using specific instructions, or make anything they can imagine. As they grow older are interested in how things work, they can get into more of the engineering with special pieces like wheels, cranks, hinges, etc. We now have a shelf for the kids to display their creations. We use Legos as a way to bond with each other as we build together, and sometimes just supervise the more complex sets when the kids are still little.

Nugget Couch

I wrote about when we first bought our Nugget couch. The kids continue to use it frequently to build fortresses, tents, slides, towers, beds, reading nooks, a couch (of course), and many more. They even used the Nugget Couch to build their own pretend lending library in the loft! I’ve noticed how well it helps support their playing.

Wooden Blocks

We have had this set of blocks for many years since the kids were little. They’re hardy and good for learning shapes and colors, sorting, and combining with any of the other toys above. Today the boys showed me several armies they made for a battlefield using their blocks. W makes fleets of ships, F makes robots and buildings, and they can even get Dad to join.

Other Ideas

Water guns or nerf guns, stuffed animals, and board or card games. Our favorites are Uno (especially the No Mercy version), Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Oregon Trail, The Game of Life, Quixx, and Monopoly.