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Babywise Mom Recommendations

Babywise Mom Recommendations | Toy list | best toys for children | #toys

Being a seasoned mom with four children and many years of experience, I have a list of kid toys and items I would buy again and again. I have compiled it all for you into this handy Amazon list. The list is in approximate age order, with the top items being for older children and the bottom items being for babies. At the very bottom, I have my favorite parenting books.

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Great Toys to Encourage Independent Playtime

Independent playtime has such value to your child. Your child will learn to focus, build a longer attention span, gain creativity, become adept at self-play, and be more orderly. It is so very worth the effort it can take to get started with independent play. You might be wondering which toys are best for your child to play independently. Are some better than others? Here is a list of my favorite toys for independent play to get the most out of the time spent. This post contains affiliate links.
Great Toys for Independent Playtime to help your child play happily | independent play | toy list | #toylist

Toys that Require Imagination 
I want my children to gain that benefit of gaining creativity, so I like toys that require some imagination. These can be building toys, like LEGOs. They can also be figurines, stuffed animals, or baby dolls. For figurines, I ideally prefer toys that are not based on a movie or television show. My children have some of those, but what I want is imagination happening. If the toys are based on something the child is familiar with, the characters and personalities are already created. Here are some good options. Click on the image to learn more about each toy:

  
 


Toys that Mimic Real Life
Another great category of toys to go for with independent playtime are toys that help the child mimic real life. This is a huge benefit of playing in general, and will really help your child gain orderly skills (as will requiring your child help clean up at the end). Dress up clothes. Toy kitchen and accessories. Doctor set. Vet set. Note on the dress up. If you hit the Halloween stores and sections at stores the day after Halloween, you can find some good deals on some dress up clothes.

  

Toys that are Hard
Some toys are difficult for the child to play with. What happens when the child plays with that toy with you around? He/she asks you to do it or to help. When the child is in independent play, he/she has to do it herself. This helps with attention span and being able to play alone. Do not overwhelm your child with difficult toys. Do not leave your child alone with toys that are too hard and not developmentally appropriate. You don't wan to to completely frustrate your child. Puzzles, magnet dolls, geomags, train sets, and nesting cups are all good examples of hard toys.




Musical Toys
I also love some musical toys going on. I am very musical and love to foster that in my children. I think it helps them with their creativity and attention span.



Books
Books are a fantastic item to have with your child during independnet play. I have a lot of posts on best books by age. Here are some. One I always loved for independent play with my little ones are the VTech books. They read to the child. I also like soft books.



Toys for Baby
When baby is doing independent play, you want toys that won't frustrate but will be entertaining. Some toys have been mentioned, such as books, nesting cups, and the music table. Be sure toy you leave with baby are safe for baby to have unsupervised. With babies who can't sit up independently, an activity gym is perfect. For babies who can sit up, they love to either empty items or fill them back up (depending on the age). A bucket of some sort full of toys that can be emptied then refilled will b be a big hit. Here are more ideas:



Conclusion
My children play independently, without me, daily. For help on getting this started with your children, see Roomtime--Your Invitation and Starting Independent Playtime Late. 

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Favorite Toys 2017

Each year, I share with you some of my top ideas for gifts for children. These are things that are tried and true in our home. These can make great Christmas or birthday gifts for the children in your life.



These were a huge hit for me when I was a child, and my children love playing with them, also. If you have animal lovers at your house, plastic animals are a great option. I would say this is great for the 4-9 year old crowd. 



Speed Cube
A speed cube is a fun toy for the ten and older crowd. This is a good option for the tween you need to shop for but aren't sure what to get.



Hair Mannequin
Kaitlyn loves doing hair, so last year for Christmas I got her a hair mannequin. I did a lot of reading and researching and settled on this one. It is a great price and she has fully loved it. It works well for the way she uses it. It is harder to use without a stand, so I would recommend getting a stand at some point, but she has managed without one up to this point. This is great as soon as your child loves doing hair.

Wings of Fire Books
Both McKenna and Kaitlyn love this book series. It is rated for ages 8-12 and grades 3-7. McKenna started with it at age 7 and in second grade, but I think the rating for the books is accurate. These are loved by boys and girls.


Hand Fan
Right around age 7-8, both Kaitlyn and McKenna have had an affinity for a hand fan. You can get nicer ones for really inexpensive on Amazon. Last Christmas was McKenna's turn to ask for a fan for Christmas.


Adult Coloring Book
All of my girls are currently loving adult coloring books. Kaitlyn has this animal one. It is made for adults and works well for her artistic abilities. Brinley has a unicorn one. It is made for girls, so more appropriate challenge-wise for a five year old.


Nice Ball
Last year for Christmas, the one thing Kaitlyn wanted was a really nice soccer ball. I am not a soccer play and never was, so I didn't know what made a "really nice soccer ball." I did some research and came up with balls for around $100. That is a liiiiitttle more than I want to spend on a ball for a child. You know, balls that easily get left behind at a game or practice. But it was the one and only thing she wanted for Christmas, so I wanted to find a nice ball for her. I talked with her coach and he recommended this one. It is a great middle ground. It is very nice, nicer than a cheap ball you can get, but not so expensive that I will see red if the ball is lost. So far, so good, though.


LEGO Animals
Brinley loves LEGOs, but mostly because she loves the little animals that come with LEGOs. She enjoys building, but her main reason for loving LEGOs is the animals. So for her birthday, I looked up "lego animals" on Amazon and came across some lots of animals. She loved it! I have since noticed the lots come and go, so if you want to do this, it is wise to buy a lot as soon as you see one you like.

Playmobil
I shared my LEGO animal find on Facebook and a reader told me about the Playmobil sets and the zoo set specifically. I usually only post about things we own and love, but this is totally on Brinley's list for Christmas now. Since it was recommended by a reader, I thought it would be safe to share before we have tried it.



Fake Book for Piano
Our neighbor introduced us to the most amazing thing for Brayden this year. It is called the Fake Book. These are books that have chords and the melody for songs. So you can play a song easily with some basic knowledge. Brayden has loved it and I will get him another one this Christmas. There is an insane amount of these fake books. Disney, Christmas, Eighties, Beatles, Classical...it never ends.

Beanie Boos
I wrote on these last Friday. They are a huge hit at our house. These are great for any age as soon as you are okay with stuffed animals.




Looking for more ideas? See past posts. These are helpful because each year, I share the greatest hits from that year, so they give ideal ideas for various ages:
Favorite Toys 2016  Preteen boy gift guide  Preteen girl gift guide
Choosing and Organizing Gifts
I am very methodical in how I choose gifts for people. I am very much a believer in "it's the thought that counts" and I put a lot of thought into the process. Plus, I don't want to purchase toys just for the sake of purchasing them. I don't want them in our house unless I think my kids will love them long-term. 
And don't miss my Gift Organizer {Free Printable} for organizing your ideas.

Book Lists
We love to give books as gifts. Each child gets a book at each birthday and each Christmas. Here are my book lists:
Favorite Toys 2017
Great Toys
If you are looking for the perfect toy for your child, look through my "best toys" lists:




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Great Bicycles You Can Buy From Amazon {Friday Finds}


I am a major online shopper. Big time. I don't just go to the internet, randomly pick something, and purchase it. No. I get an idea of what I want. I do some research. I read reviews. I put my top 3-5 contenders in a wish list.

Then I wait. I wait for a while.

I think about it. 

Then after I feel like I have thought long enough, I decide and buy.

Sometimes I think about it for well over a year. 

That's why I like to shop online. It allows me to over-analyze the purchase. Plus it helps that the things get delivered right to my door!!!

And these bicycles were no different. We spent our years heading to Walmart and grabbing a bike and crossing our fingers. Didn't usually end well (did it ever end well???...). I changed and went to online shopping. The whole over-analyzing thing. These are bikes that have stood the test of time. These are bikes that can be passed down among the children because they will last that long. This post contains affiliate links.

We have owned this bike two times; we owned it once for Brayden in boy version and we now have one for McKenna in girl version. We have never had any issues between the two  bicycles and I would totally buy this again. This is a great style for a child who likes to ride hard. This bike retails for 125-ish. Don't pay more! I have seen it listed for far more than that.  Right now, it is on sale for $99.99. 

This is Kaitlyn's current bike and she completely loves it. She finds it comfortable and of course being stylish matters to her. Since it is a cruiser, it is of course great for the child who likes to be relaxed in riding. Again, no issues with this bike and we would totally get it again. This is currently on sale for $93.49.



This is Brayden's current bike. It has been a great bike and we haven't had any problems with it. I would get it again and the price is great! 






There you have our current bikes. We have had them all for over a year. They have lasted through the weather and the treatment of children. One of them (the first) is one we have had for many years (we still have Brayden's version) and it is in fantastic shape. The seats are all still in one piece and the bikes look good (one bike we got from Walmart had its seat in pieces by the end of the summer...). So I am all around happy with these!
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Favorite Toys 2016


Oh how I love sharing our favorites around here. Each year in October,  I share some of our favorites from the past year. This post contains affiliate links.

Brinley--Four Year Old Girl


Any three or four year old would love the Saxoflute. Brinley got this last Christmas and it continues to bring her much joy. This is one of those things you may or may not want in your home, and if you have younger siblings who nap, it might not be your favorite. It is fun and educational on many levels, however! Other fun ideas for the three or four year old include books, dress up, stuffed animals, Do-A-Dots (on a related note, be sure to search Pinterest for Do-A-Dot marker activities. So fun!), books, and toys from their favorite shows (Paw Patrol, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood...). And don't forget about our sparkly shoes. Love.


 McKenna--Seven Year Old Girl
I have already shared about the gymnastics mat and beam McKenna got last Christmas. Other favorites of hers this year included a skipper, a hula hoop, fancy dress up gloves, and a fun game called Math Dice. Hands down, McKenna's favorite subject in school is math, so this fun math game has been fun for her. A little tip on getting things like gloves, don't just look at toy dress up options. Look at women's options, also. They often have inexpensive versions that are still nicer than a toy dress up version. Don't forget books! The Whatever After Series is fun for this age.


 Kaitlyn--Nine Year Old Girl
Kaitlyn is very into art, so she always enjoys something artistic. Beyer has a variety of fun sets of animal painting. Kaitlyn loves horses, so we got her a horse one. She also loves stuffed animals (especially Beanie Boos), Lego Friends sets, plain paper, and her nail art set. Books are always a go-to, also.


 Brayden--Eleven Year Old Boy


For Brayden, it is all about the LEGOs. That is all he wanted for Christmas last year and all he got. For his birthday, we went another direction and got him a kayak. That was a huge hit this summer! Don't forget the book!

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