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| Image taken from FunnyJunk.com |
Please note that I will update each post throughout the weeks to come, but I do intend to focus on a different toy zone (imaginative play, arts and crafts, etc.,) each time I write something new, so be sure to look at my previous posts--you will find that additional material is being added onto previous sections, for I will update regularly.
Today's focus: Legos and OTHER building toys (more legos and building toys will be added later today and tomorrow--you get the picture!). Yes: Let go of my Legos and Back away from my Blocks. Sound menacing? It is, a bit (but that's the toddler for you). Still, I'm not going to go into sharing here, though I will venture into this terrain at some point, for I have encountered some interesting experiences and attitudes/excuses as I have taught (and continue to teach) my children how to share. And I cannot forget this line, which I have misquoted, from Bill Cosby: "Da-ad, the baby took my toy and won't give it back." Cosby's response: "Shut up. She [that would be the two-year-old] has my stuff, too." Cosby goes on to explain that adults, as they raise their children, cease to care--at every moment--about what is fair: adults seek quiet. Legos and construction toys do provide you with just that, a certain level of peace. The sounds, after all, come from your children rather than from implanted electronic devices that say very little FAR too frequently. Enough said, and onto the goods!
Legos and other building toys help with imagination, logic, and motor skills. I have fond memories of legos and am thrilled to see that they have made a comeback. Such toys enable you/your children to build and then to imagine scenarios. Yes, that picture, that one on the right, looks like a jumble, but just think of what your children can create with it--endless possibilities: cars (need wheels!) to houses, or maybe even some imagined mermaid's cove. Kids just need encouragement, and the tools!These days, many lego products are sets, sets that your children, especially as they get older may feel that they cannot dissemble (and reconstruct) once they've built the model. Not true, I say! Legos are not meant to be static, so construct, deconstruct, and then construct again--even if you are building the same model. I know, I know: generally, sets are not reassembled--rather like 1000 piece puzzles. But do remember that you can buy basic sets, and that you can visit the online lego store (link is below) to purchase special pieces like wheels, doors--whatever spins your child's imagination to new heights.
Still, the sets can be grand. Unfortunately most are extremely expensive: the brand of the character transforms something that would be priced at $50.00 to $100-200. YIKES. But sometimes we opt for the brand, for the character (Hello, Mr. Potter, sir) and pay the premium because we know our children will be that much more thrilled with the present. Side note: have to say that I wish I had purchased Hogwart's Castle a few weeks ago when it was listed (on Amazon) at $115.00. Now, the price has escalated, depending upon the seller, to between $140-180. And it's getting more expensive by the day. Really outrageous--sorry, Mr. Potter, but the tuition for Hogwart's is out of my league at present, but I am still searching for a deal/scholarship so my daughter may feel that she is attending your school.
If you really need that Hogwart's Castle, check out Target's website: they are not selling the large version online (yes, there are two versions), but they do allow you to do a zip code search to identify stores near you that carry the massive Hogwarts product. I would advise calling the store to see if they still have the item in stock (and check the price, since Target says that the prices may vary from store to store) before you make a trip.
Also, it appears that (for a limited time) Toys R US is having a buy one lego set, get another at 50% off (remember, you're paying for the more expensive item and getting 50% off the more affordable one). The funny thing about the Hogwart's Craze (it has nearly 1300 pieces), which isn't surprising considering that the last movie of the series is now out on DVD, is that Diagon Alley, which has over 2000 pieces, seems affordable! Hogwarts is more expensive--both are backordered on the Lego online site but there, at least, you get the real retail value without customer inflation coming into play! One class at Harvard might be more affordable before the end of this season. But, 'Tis the Season of Giving and Greed. Unfortunately.
Thankfully with Legos, there are loads of sets and combos from which to choose. I have reviewed a few items and will continue to add to the list. If you're interested in the product and wish to purchase it, please hit the picture, which will send you to Amazon. Again, as I have said, there are other sites out there and sometimes you can find better deals. If I know of them, I'll lead you there. If not, I'll lead you to Amazon, where you can price compare.
I'll start with a few sets that I have purchased for my children. With these sets, I'm providing you with reviews that I have written based on what I have observed while watching my kids play/interact with them. Later in the post, I'll showcase items that I have never purchased but that have gotten phenomenal reviews from parents across the country. Please pay attention to my notes, for there I reveal price increases, etc., if I happen to notice them.
Note: Prices vary from seller to seller. With Amazon, please remember to place the item in your shopping cart (and if it's sold by another vendor/store to also add the same items from other sellers since sometimes the link you're given is not the best price, and sometimes another seller opts to have a sale) and monitor its price fluctuations. After a few days, you get a sense of the levels between the highest and the lowest price for a single item---this changes if that seller sells all of his/her items and you're redirected to another seller. Also, remember to add the shipping cost to the overall cost of the item--sometimes this is true even if the item is Prime Eligible and you have Prime.... yes, sometimes you save a few dollars by paying shipping rather than going with Prime. UPDATE: This is WAY over-priced. Only buy from Amazon if you can get it for about $25.00--I paid about $25.00 for it. You can buy it on the lego site right now for $25.00 (don't know what the charge is for shipping--will look into this).
Above: LEGO DUPLO MY FIRST ZOO: Don't pay more than $25.00 for the product (not including taxes, etc).
This is a sturdy set. I purchased it in October for my baby, who shall be two in late December. This isn't her favorite set (Winnie the Pooh still holds that record), but she does enjoy the animals, and she absolutely adores the car (definitely the favorite item in the set). She's still not much of a builder, but when I (or my husband) take the initiative and start taking out pieces to build things, she quickly toddles over to imitate to the best of her abilities. She sometimes has difficulties assembling the legos, but at her age, it is to be expected. Still, the bright colors of the legos (and enthusiasm from the family) keep her trying until she succeeds at "connecting" three-five pieces. She's not building zoos, at present, but considering that these Duplos are significantly smaller than the Megablox set that she has become quite proficient with, I'm pleased that she's getting challenged. An added bonus is that her big sister (7), who was NEVER into building toys, has finally determined that building with legos can be just as fun as playing barbies (yes, hello, Mr. Potter), doing science experiments, or reading, etc. Now she, too, plays with legos (but those aimed at older kids).
Like the other Duplo sets that I have purchased, this is of exceptional durable quality (quality that far exceeds what I have seen/experienced from the Megablox, but that is subjective), and can be easily washed in the top rack of the dishwasher, should it be necessary to clean them. As for the toy's educational value, my little one is learning the names of and sounds that a few animals make (while giggling hysterically), and she's doing basic construction (though she prefers to take apart what others in the family have assembled). She likes to wander off with the animals, so they wind up near her animal puzzles, allowing her to see/notice differences between two dimensional and three dimensional objects, and the adorable Duplo zoo animals are sometimes used by her when she's playing with her blocks, which leads me to think of the figurines and the car in this set as not limited to the world of legos--they are being mixed by her own associations/whims with her other toys. Again though, the winning piece of this set is the car: it gets the most use by far, and she attempts to place her characters from some of the other Duplo sets inside. This (since the seat of the car has lego grooves, and the figurines have their own attachments) allow her to work at fairly intricate fine motor skills. It's easy enough for me to lock a figurine into a car, but for her it takes time and effort, which just goes to show how fascinating the car and its workings are for her. For a little one, and they do tend to be easily distracted, this one object/skill activity really retains her attention: possibly she relates to the car because it is part of her real life, but who knows.
I would certainly buy this set for another child, but I would choose it for a child ABOVE age two, just as the box recommends rather than for one who is 18-20 months old. Still, a great buy with loads of play value: I believe my little one will find this zoo increasingly interesting as her imagination and motor skill abilities flourish.
Note: If the price stays below $30.00, you're getting a decent deal--but remember shipping costs!
Above: LEGO DUPLO WINNIE'S HOUSE
True, you do not get Tigger or Rabbit, but chances are that your 18 month-24 month is not aware of this "deficiency" since children of this age generally aren't ardent admirers of characters. If they do not care, I do not think the lack of Tigger is a deficiency. Generally, the love for a character happens later--unless you have REALLY exposed them to the characters and they have begun to identify with the character as a part of daily life. But even if this is the case, they do get Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore. That said, I do agree that the separation of the characters (you have to buy two sets to have both Winnie and Tigger in your crowd of friends) was an advertising/sales ploy to induce parents/adults to spend more money in order to have a comprehensive character set. But enough about that. Now onto the actual set.
I bought this for my little one when she was 20-months-old. It was her very first Lego set (have bought some others since then--as you know), and she loves it, and her love for it has generated some enthusiasm for legos from my 7-year-old who never showed any interest in building... until now. Siblings! :)
Truth is, my little one doesn't know how to build very well (though her building skills are improving by the week), but if she gets a lego on a lego, I call it a success, especially since the pieces are far smaller than those of her megablox set. For now, she's a phenomenal deconstructionist: she will cheerfully dissemble anything you build, but she ADORES Piglet and Winnie. Unfortunately, (for me), she has clung to the word "Pooh" but has garbled that to "Poop." But she's trying to learn the names, and this set was her first exposure to these characters.
I have all of her legos in a basket, and all I have to do is ask her where Winnie the Pooh is or where is Piglet, and she's off to the basket searching for them. For now, at this age, what seems to attract her (apart from MY obvious enthusiasm for those characters--I know that my enthusiasm for something channels hers) is the little crib/bed, the window that opens and closes, and the door, which does the same. She can spend 15-20 minutes (if I'm supervising and encouraging), trying to take Piglet through the door, putting Winnie to bed and trying to seat each of them in the chairs. Through this set, apart from learning the names of some characters, she has learned the difference between a window and door (though both open and close in the same way), learned how to say chair and that she should try to let her characters sit down on the chair (also challenging because of the grooves), and learned to say cake and honey. So, she's learned a few words, and is starting to understand VERY basic construction on a significantly smaller scale than the megablox, at which she has become fairly proficient as these are significantly larger.
These legos are highly durable and are easily cleaned (throw them in a bottle/tip cleaner in the top rack of a dishwasher), if necessary.
As for me, I chose this set because Winnie the Pooh and his friends--though some are moody--are generally polite, etc., and these are the kind of characters I'd like her to get to know. Obviously, what one person deems as a sweet and charming character, another could deem as obnoxious and annoying: interpretation of characterization is entirely subjective. But, the legos are built well, and she has learned from this set, and continues to play with it daily (she's had it for about two months, and her building skills are becoming increasingly sophisticated--for a not quite two-year-old).
I think the window, door, chairs, and bed make it a bit special, though it also comes with honey, flowers, a cake, and a slide. She loves it, so I am thrilled, and would certainly purchase this for another child around the same age as mine. Lovely toy. I like playing with it, as does her sister and father, and that's what makes the difference: if you buy a toy that enchants you on some level, you're more likely to get your baby/toddler enthused since so much of what they want to do at this age revolves around you and imitation.
Note: Retail value is $10.00 (I don't believe in anything that's #.99), but is currently going for $7.51 with free shipping if you have Prime.
Above: LEGO DUPLO BUILDING PLATES:
If you're buying any Duplo set, you should consider adding some additional building plates, for such plates enable your little one (or you!) to join bricks/legos together and thus make a larger structure. I won't bother to review it, for one reviewer (on Amazon) gives you all the information you may need. Will simply add that I have purchased additional plates and have found that they do enhance the overall play experience--also allow more than one person to build a structure at the same time!
Note: If this goes over the $40.00 mark (including shipping, you're not getting a good deal--The bus, yes that little bus was being sold for $60.00 just a few days ago, and it's worth about half that price).
Above: LEGO HARRY POTTER HAGRID'S HUT:
My 7-year-old daughter, who is a devout Harry Potter fan, begged for this and other Harry Potter sets for many months, so, despite her distaste for lego toys (this has been true for more than three years), I finally caved in, took a chance, and purchased it. I have NO regrets.
I took a chance AFTER noting her acknowledgement that legos MIGHT be fun after I had purchased the Winnie the Pooh Set (and the zoo set, etc), for her now almost 2-year-old sister: I fully credit her younger sister for helping make my 7-year-old realize that building/constructing might be worthwhile, especially if a favorite character was involved, so she could then revert to imaginative play. But back to Hagrid's Hut...
The pieces are tiny, and can be easily lost, so it's vital that you open and build the mini packages as directed, and work in an area that is free of clutter or patterns (like those found on rugs, etc.). Also, the pieces--unless properly interlocked, which can be difficult for younger children, will fall apart on you, making it necessary to redo a section of the hut many times. This meant that my daughter and I worked on the set together, with her doing initial assembling and with me talking her through the process, and (at times) redoing her handiwork. We got to spend many quality hours together, and it was a thrill watching her anticipation mount as each section of Hagrid's hut neared completion. We spent a great deal of time reviewing (again and again) the directions--and talking about the importance of reading directions carefully before jumping into something, and somehow we managed to relate this task to a science project: don't let the project blow up. We laughed over our favorite scenes in the books (she has read books 1-4 and has seen those movies) and bemoaned Ron's fear of spiders, and especially of Aragog. Essentially, we discussed everything from directions to all things related to Harry Potter. She also pretended, at my suggestion, that she was a builder, following the direction of an architect, which led us to talk about architecture, etc. It was all splendid fun, and despite issues with finding pieces, etc., the building experience remained positive and upbeat.
ONE PROBLEM WE HAD: The colors in the directions do not necessarily completely correspond to the colors of the legos, so you may think you're searching for something black when you're really looking for something dark grey--not terribly troublesome, but helpful to know in advance.
Also, as I mentioned, the pieces are tiny, so could be easily lost, misplaced, and this factor also makes it a little difficult to use the set for imaginative play once it has been built. That said, my daughter has kept the directions and goes back to her little set and is currently rebuilding it--yes!--just for fun, and to see if she can do it completely on her own. We also bought the Harry Potter Knight Bus and she had great fun building this one as well.
All in all, these are expensive but wonderful purchases (just remember to compare seller rates and monitor them), and can also be rebuilt, so there is lots of play value (and learning value here). They also look great on a shelf since they are compact, so don't take much room!
We are planning on using these sets as extra decor for her 8th birthday party, which is going to be all about Harry Potter and wizardry/dragons. I have to admit, I'm a Harry Potter fan too, so I had fun building this set as well.
To visit the real online lego store, follow this link: http://shop.lego.com/en-US/
BLOCKS and Other Building Materials:
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| Just one example of what you can build! |
Generally, when one starts to talk about blocks, HABA (sometimes Djeco) or Melissa and Doug are the first mentioned. Now that I've done that, I have to spotlight Citiblocs because I have been intrigued by them since this summer. These blocks have won 30 toy industry awards, including by Oppenheim, and are evenly cut so that each block shape is the same shape and size as the others, which makes for easier construction. The blocks come in different hues (each hue sold separately--naturally), and I have to admit that I am attracted to the "cool" colors, that is, the blocks shaded in blues and greens, but these blocks come in natural or red/orange tones as well. And are eco-friendly, as the wood comes from sustainable forests located in New Zealand.
Note: The links above lead to 100-piece sets; you can also buy 50 or 200 piece sets.
Stackadoos Bristle Blocks and Spinaroos: (images are below)
Recommended for children aged 24 months plus, but I think if your child is in the 18-20 month range, these could still work really well. I purchased this for my little one, who is not quite two, and though we have not opened the box--this is going to be a birthday present--she has seen them (as, considering her age) I have not yet wrapped them! She keeps returning to the little box, and sitting by it and looking at all of the colors inside. She's even toted the item around the room with her, so she's definitely intrigued, though we'll see how she responds once she gets to play with them.
Here are a few things that appealed to me about the toy: soft bristles that offer flexibility, making them easy to connect while also giving your little one a strong sensory sensation; loads of building potential, for the shapes of the pieces are incredibly varied: make faces, vehicles, towers, robots. Also, if these building toys are knocked down, unlike wooden blocks, for instance, it's unlikely that your little one will get hurt. I love wooden toys, but I do feel the need (with the young ones) to be vigilant in my supervision, as wood can hurt! Alternatively, try out the Spinaroos, which won the Parents Choice Award, and no wonder: I think I'd like to play with it and get my imagination spinning with figures shaped like heads (that have faces) and pieces shaped like arms and legs. Purchased together or separately, you may find your little one building with the energy of a blizzard!
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