Toys

I've been called something of a toy nazi. I just happen to think that kids don't need all the toys in the store to be happy! I would also rather my kids use their imagination and their brain than swim through thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of toys.

In a practical sense, we also just plain ole don't have the room nor the financial means to give up for the latest cool commercial touted things. I'd rather spend out space and money on things that will last more than 5 minutes and things that will bring REAL entertainment or meaning to our lives.

Our house is approx 750 sq feet. In it we house 3 adults, 2 kids and a cat. We are lucky enough to have a "toy room" which is more and more becoming a "schoolish" room. Really, it's an oversized hallway with a window at the end of it. It's about 6x8 feet. There's also 3 doorways and a staircase = no wall space. The girls shared bedroom is about 10x12. That's feet. I know people who's bathrooms are bigger. Then there's our living room that's a spacious 12x14 (feet). Again, people have bathrooms that are bigger. Needless to say, we don't have a lot of room for extras.

Going back to spending money and space on things that will last more than 5 minutes and things that will bring REAL entertainment or meaning to our lives.... I love educational toys. I love books. I love real-life play toys. I love craft stuff. Generally stuff that will have  long shelf life.

My kids share toys. I am grateful that Brianna is not the kind of child who demands the latest things. Maybe she would be if I bought them, but she knows I won't. Olivia of course, doesn't care. So I buy toys that appeal to both age groups, will last a long time and can be used in a variety of ways or situations.

My favorite toys:
- Books
- Lego/Mega Blocks
- Wooden Blocks
- Wooden Train Set
- Play Kitchen and Foods
- Cars
- Any Type of Craft Supply
- Baby Type Dolls (not barbies)

These are toys that my children don't get bored with in 10 minutes. These are toys that my children can learn from. These are toys (if quality items are acquired) that will last their whole childhood.