Though there are lots of pop-culture classic toy favorites (from Fisher Price to the Operation Game), these toys are all about the design, and a good dose of classic open-ended playtime. From Miller Goodman's gorgeous wooden blocks, to Eames classic bent plywood Elephant, each item features gorgeous finishes, modern forms, and imagination. This list certainly isn't all-inclusive, what's your favorite designer toy?
Miller Goodman Playshapes, $150
Red Ball Rocker, by Gloria Caranica, $265
Playsam Streamliner Classic Car, $44
Herman Miller Wooden Tops, no longer available
Miller Goodman Shapemaker, $75
Eames elephant, $320
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These toys are truly beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I have a 6 month old and he already has a ton of toys and I didn't buy ANY of them (all were gifts from family and friends, which we are thankful for). Although I wish we had more toys like these around the house and fewer crazy light-up noisemakers. As he gets older, I'd love to add some more sturdy, durable, well-designed toys to our collection that might stick around in the family for awhile.
From our children's vast toy collections several toys stand out:
Brio train sets, duplo blocks, little people sets and legos. Great for developing imagination.
From our children's vast toy collections several toys stand out:
Brio train sets, duplo blocks, little people sets and legos. Great for developing imagination.
@hrhprincessfiona - Give kids good toys with good design, rather than those trashy plastic throw-away toys, and they will love them! Better, give toys that incourage imagination and creativity that are also beautiful. Right now my 5yo son is engrossed in playing with a hand-me-down Playmobile vet office while listening to the Mouse and the Motorcycle on a book cd. :)
My 5yo son's favorites include the following: duplos (now legos), wooden train set, wooden blocks, Plan toys (especially the airport), Playmobile, his little accordion, a Pattern Play wooden block pattern toy, and his little red racer car (which he is almost too big for). He other toys, but these are mainstays. He completely abandoned his Leapster in favor of legos!!
@hrhprincessfiona - No patronizing intended. Some of those action man figures and barbies are sturdy and built to last too. I'm talking about plastic bits and bobs (think free toys in kid's meals), the cheap-o throwaway toys from the dollar store, the flashing lights/bells/sirens in a box that don't have the child doing anything. There's no need to give kids toys that will simply break when they are played with.
Our son chooses his own toys too. We started with classics, and since he's started to earn his own money he saves up for toys. He usually saves up for Legos - which are darn expensive - so we had to raise his chore money from 5 cents per chore to 10 cents. He now knows what a toy is worth, how much he is willing to spend, and takes good care of them.
PS - He LOVES superman and has picked up a few action-man figures on his own dime at garage sales and the like. And, he still has the superhero cape I made for him when he was just 3. Part of it is because he got glasses when he was little and was always told he looks like Clark Kent.