Comments on: Focus on Buying Open-Ended Toys (69/365)

By: Izabelle

Izabelle — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:37:38 +0000

LOVE this post!

My brother and I used to fight over the Lego blocks, and we kept playing them from pre-school into our teenage years.

I’d add that open-ended toys, used enough, can help train children to think laterally and creatively rather than in a linear manner (in other words, it keeps the “inner child” active into adulthood!). That skill will be useful their entire life, no matter the path they choose.

By: Kai

Kai — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:36:01 +0000

I’m pretty sure that scrap paper and crayons serve the same purpose as the COLOUR EXPLOSION GLOW BOARD for a fragment of the cost.
How about a photo of some lego, or those tiles that Trent raves about, or those blocks from the previous post? -Rather than something that I can’t imagine a frugal parent purchasing

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 15:45:30 +0000

#6 Nate – LOL! My child was happiest in almost any situation if there was a stick or a small container (box, cup, whatever) at hand to play with. On our first visit to a large zoo, the toddler was cranky until we found a stick, a cup, and a small patch of dirt to play in.

Large boxes are also magical.

By: Carol

Carol — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:56:15 +0000

Thanks, this post made me want to play and color myself! We as adults need to feel more like playing and creating things, especially when life gets stressful, it’s good to remember the fun stuff.

By: Nate Poodel

Nate Poodel — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 07:18:45 +0000

Several years ago I heard on the radio that they were going to announce the MOST popular toy of all time. Everyone thought it would be balls, trains, dolls, blocks, etc. It turned out to be the Stick! Yes a stick and runner up was the Box. Kids can use them in the most creative ways. I think the same goes for toys. Keep ‘em simple and you’ll have plenty of play time.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:38:37 +0000

And my sister kept the wooden doll cribs that my four sisters and I played with, and my niece puts her “babies” to bed in them just like we did….

By: Roberta

Roberta — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:35:38 +0000

This post amplifies something Amy Dacyzyn (The Frugal Zealot) mentioned years ago.. along the lines of ” a zxy-93 fighter plane can only be a zxy-93 fighter plane, but a block can be anything”. I’m with you Trent on this – blocks, art materials, Legos and the like. My boys LOVED K’nex and we kept all of them, along with the blocks, the Legos and the GI Joes. Our oldest boy home from college at 22 years old still gets on the floor and plays legos or K’nex with our youngest, who is 12. Sometimes I get down there and play too, and I’m over 50.

By: Lilly

Lilly — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:11:28 +0000

Ouch, sorry for the double post… I didn’t think my first one went through! Now I feel like I’m talking to myself….

By: Lilly

Lilly — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:10:11 +0000

I LOVE this post. Another good thing (that you briefly mentioned) is that you end up buying fewer toys overall because your kids don’t “grow out” of them as quickly. We have a VERY small box of “baby” toys put away, that she has grown out of. But her wooden blocks, baby doll, teddy bear, jumbo crayons, etc are still great for her.

By: Lilly

Lilly — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 23:06:38 +0000

I LOVE this post. I have a 2 year old, and it seems like the fewer toys she has, the more creative she is.