MindWare Q-Ba-Maze

The MindWare Q-Ba-Maze is a great twist on a lot of the traditional marble sets out there. My son loves marble sets, and while we’ve tried a few, they all fall short for one reason or another. Some are so difficult to build, he can’t build them with friends as they become too impatient, and he never wants to take them apart once he’s finished. Others are cheap and flimsy. The Q-Ba-Maze is both quick and easy to build, and sturdy – along with being a lot of fun. Kids can build not only simple tracks, but ones in shapes of ice cream cones, fish and more. I also love that we can pull up new designs on their website so he never runs out of shapes to build.

Pop-Arty Beads

The Pop Beads are a simple concept, but well executed. They basically allow a child to make bead necklaces, bracelets and all sorts of creations, but with the full ability to create and then re-create just like they were Legos. I love these because they can be made into so many things – not just jewelry but lots of imaginative shapes and items. And, I love that they entertain boys just as well as girls! I’ve taken these to workshops and out with lots of kids and the boys tend to play with them longer than my girls! They also are a toy that keep kids occupied for quite a long time, are not messy and are very easy to take on the go since they are so small. Did I mention too, they are less than $20?

Elenco SnapCircuits

Another make and re-make toy, Elenco SnapCircuits provide a way for kids to learn the fundamentals of electricity by putting together circuits in large scale toy-format. Kids can make their creations make sounds, turn a fan, power a car and more. Another toy that both my son and daughter love, so don’t think this is just for boys! The SnapCircuits are available in many different set sizes. If you can go for the $45 pricepoint one, I recommend the SC-300 set. There are also sets under $20 as well.

Geotrax

What I love about Geotrax most is how it appeals to kids of all ages. Whether it’s a one-year old baby or my adult brother, this toy has something for everyone. The younger kids enjoy pushing the trains around once the tracks are set up, and the older kids are able to build their own track. There are so many different ways the track can be set up, across bridges, track-over-track, even up to 3 tracks can run one above another (try that with wooden track sets!). This is by far the best toy I’ve had for older kids to play alongside babies, since all the pieces are safe for infants (no choking hazards with these) – not only is it safe for the baby to be around the toys, but they can enjoy picking them up too. Every time we get this toy out, it’s a favorite for my kids and kids that come over, and it easily provides hours of entertainment. It’s my top recommended toy for that reason! Unfortunately, the latest sets have gone up in price a lot from when I bought ours 6 years ago – a good price can likely be found on ebay or Craigslist for an entire collection used.

Perler Beads and Sorter

A nice cheap gift that can earn it’s mileage in our house are simple Perler Beads. If your kids haven’t discovered the fun of Perler Beads yet, and they are over age 3, then it’s time you tried them out! There are so many things you can do with these – make ornaments, gifts, tic-tac-toe boards, the list goes on and on. You can pull up patterns on the Perler Bead website so that the inspiration never ends. I find that for my younger kids, buying a sorting tray (pictured below) will entertain them for quite some time – just simply letting them take out the beads and sort into the spots in the tray, which they can do at age 3 & 4 more easily than making the designs. This helps make it a toy that all my kids can play with at once, even when the younger ones are only sorting and the older ones are making designs. My 3 kids each have their own tray and half the time they just love to sit and sort colors!

Bucket of Beads – approx. $10 / Sorter – approx. $5

Legos Friends or Legos

Just because Legos have been around for decades, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve a mention. They are great toys! What I want to point out here is that the new Legos Friends make Legos more exciting for girls to receive. My daughter already had a Lego bucket before the “Friends” came out, and her and her brother already had learned to play with Legos for hours on end. But I do love the new Friends line as well – especially because they have larger more realistic people, and this seems to be very appealing to girls. My daughter, unlike my son, always has asked for the people to go along with her structures. Lego has done a great thing by making one of the most successful construction-based toys ever made more appealing to girls. Don’t count out your girls from loving Legos too!

Calico Critters Townhouse and Figures

I have to admit I thought the Calico Critters were just another expensive toy that wouldn’t get played with in our household. But my girls swooned over them at the local toy store for years and I finally gave in and purchased the house and several animal figures and furniture last year. I knew they’d be excited to receive the toys, but I wasn’t prepared for how often they got played with. My 3-year old loves these toys so much, she asks to play with them constantly. All 3 kids (even my son) will go into the playroom and spend hours setting up the furniture and coming up with imaginative games as they make up stories with the animals. I ended up buying a tree house for my 5-year old as well, but I think just one house, and lots of figures, was all we really needed. I’d recommend: one house, 3 rooms of furniture, 8-12 dolls. While all together this mayrun about $150-$175, I am sure now after a year of play that it was worth it, as the kids will play with these for years to come. You can also find entire sets at times on Craigslist and eBay if you don’t mind getting them used.

Updated December 2, 2014 with one more great item!

Geometric Dome

We bought this for our backyard when we weren’t ready for a full size play structure with swings and slide. Years later, after purchasing both a full size play structure and trampoline, the kids actually play on this jungle gym more! From age 2 to 9, our kids have each found a way over several years to enjoy this – from climbing on the sides to hanging from the top, or simply using it like a fort for picnics and other play. For only $175, it’s a fraction of the cost of other large outdoor play equipment and such a good value!