Toddler Thursday: It's that time of year ...
It's Sarah K.K., back with another installment of Toddler Thursday ...
As the holidays approach, everyone's starting to ask what Isaac wants for Christmas and Hanukkah. (We do both at our house.)
What does a 1.5-year-old really need, anyway? He has lots of books and plenty of toys, and he's doing OK on clothes, too. But he also has eight grandparents, so inquiring minds want to know.
One of his sets of grandparents already got him a gift, which is waiting in our basement until Hanukkah begins next week. It's a toy kitchen, which we decided on after seeing how much fun he had playing with similar toys at friends' houses on our recent vacation.
Other than that, though, I'm stumped. He loves books, trucks, music, musical instruments, Little People ... so I'm thinking more of the same. Maybe some blocks or Lego blocks?
But I'm wondering what the 1.5-year-olds in your life have particularly enjoyed. Or practical things I'm just not thinking of. Any suggestions for me? I'd appreciate the help!
Comments
At this age the gift doesn't matter--the box it came in will provide the most entertainment value!
How about some age-appropriate books to stock Isaac's library?
SKK: That is true! Our pictures from last Christmas show him crawling in the box, not playing with the toys. We have a ton of books -- one of our neighbors gave us two huge boxes of their son's old books right after Isaac was born. But I'm always up for more book suggestions, especially since he loves story time.
Posted by: Dahlink | December 3, 2009 7:44 PM
How about a tricycle if he doesn't have one already? By spring/summer, he should be ready for it. I always tried to think ahead a bit when my daughter was that age when I created my lists. Also, they could get him a small toy so that he has something to open, but then maybe a gift certificate for a class/activity that you'd like him to participate in during the next year or so or a membership to a museum/the zoo?
SarahKK: Ooh, ooh, all great ideas! Thanks!
Posted by: Lisa | December 4, 2009 6:29 AM
Trains. Somewhere pre-2, the GrandBoys became Train Guys. They preferred the Make 'Em Go Yourself style to battery-powered trains (one GrandBoy took the batteries out and pushed them around by hand)
Posted by: Eve | December 4, 2009 9:51 AM
My daughter will be 2 in January, and I just bought her the card game Memory for $5 at Target (we were both home sick together and I think I'm the one who needed her to have that new toy more than she actually needed it!) She's too young to play by the rules, but she loves to look at the pictures and it has her talking and naming what she sees. And more than anything, she just loves to dump the cards out all over the floor.
Posted by: Lulu | December 4, 2009 2:54 PM
My kids loved the MagnaDoodle at that age- even if I was doing the drawing and they were guessing what it is. You could also get food for the kitchen, which can be played with without the kitchen. My kids loved a magazine subscription as a gift. We love Ranger Rick, though there is a version for younger kids. My favorite book is "Clap Your Hands" by Lorinda Bryan Cauley- kids ages 1-7 really love it.
Good Luck!
Posted by: CRM | December 6, 2009 9:36 PM
GeoTrax trains are a good option, but as mentioned above, Connor ended up pushing them more then driving them with the remote controls. They do start eating up floor space quickly though. For the trike, go with a big wheel style one - much more stable and easier to push by walking. The pedal coordination will take some time.
Posted by: etucker | December 7, 2009 4:35 PM
Magna-doodle is a great idea! My son is 15 months and he cracks up whenever I draw pictures of Mama and Dada (or a dog, or whatever). It must be the magic of seeing some lines come together to form a familiar object... comedy gold for some reason. And with the magna-doodle he wouldn't be constantly trying to eat the crayons!
Posted by: Betsy | December 8, 2009 3:56 PM