Indestructible Toys?

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Do you have any suggestions? Our children are between the ages of 2-5. Most of them are 2 1/2-4 years old.

We started out with 75% of the toys being wood. Somehow, they have destroyed more than 50% of those toys. The majority of the things that aren't destroyed are things carved out of a single piece of wood. I gave up on having primarily wooden toys and began to buy plastic. They don't destroy the Lego Duplos or the regular Legos (for my 4-5 year old children). They don't destory Wedgits, Fisher Price plastic toys like a cookie jar or a shape sorter bucket, Matchbox Cars/Hotwheels, etc. I find these toys to be ugly (LOL) but I can't have a toy only lasting a month or so!

I need more items to buy. I am phasing out the majority of the wooden toys and saving them for a future little of ours (Lord willing that we can carry to term). What do the children in your place love that they can't destroy?

[Country Kids]

Thank you so much for asking this!!!!!

I thought I was going crazy (more then usual) when my kids started breaking my wooden toys. They are so expensive but they break them like nothing.

None, I mean none of plastic toys have been broken!:confused:

I totally do not understand this. I want to have all wooden, natural toys but not at this expense.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Thank you so much for asking this!!!!!

I thought I was going crazy (more then usual) when my kids started breaking my wooden toys. They are so expensive but they break them like nothing.

None, I mean none of plastic toys have been broken!:confused:

I totally do not understand this. I want to have all wooden, natural toys but not at this expense.

It seems like my smaller kids (2's and 3's) are more prone to breaking them than my older kids (4's and 5's). It's really irritating so I am giving up.

I just thought of a Mr. Potato Head. I'll keep thinking.

[SunnyDay]

Waffle blocks
Bristle Blocks
Little People (house, barn, etc.)
Plastic play tools
Plastic doctor kit
"Wheelies" type cars (plastic)
Weebles (we have a Weeble tree house that is very popular)

[lovemykidstoo]

It seems like my smaller kids (2's and 3's) are more prone to breaking them than my older kids (4's and 5's). It's really irritating so I am giving up.

I just thought of a Mr. Potato Head. I'll keep thinking.

I bought a very large box of Mr. Potato Heads from Ebay a couple of years ago and it is never ending fun. All ages love it.

[itlw8]

Most of the wood toys on the market are expensive but very cheaply made.You need to be careful as many come from China. Then they have a lead hazard.

The ones from not sure of the name Community Playthings??? they are a amish or mennenite company. they are very expensive but the stuff lasts for generations.

[youretooloud]

You literally have to get old stuff from the 70s and 80s.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Vintage-Antique-Toys-/717/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=community+wooden

The "Community" trucks will last forever. You might need to sand them a little to get the dirt off, but they are unbreakable. I have a set that are probably 35 yrs old.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...uff&_sacat=717 Tuff Stuff will also never, ever break.

Old vintage Fisher Price toys are good too.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...6+Antique+Toys Little Tykes ride on semi trucks...it's hard to win a bid, but they are favorites.

[LK5kids]

I've had wooden toys fall apart too. I ran a playgroup that had only met twice a week for an hour and a half (old job) and our agency bought a beautiful wooden doll house and lots of nice furniture and that furniture starting falling apart quite quickly. It didn't get that much use because the kids were only there such a short amount of time each week.

I've noticed the trend and have admired the fcc homes with all the wooden toys. My state has a handout that even states (as a recommendation not a requirement) that we have a combination of wooden and plastic as kids get too overwhelmed with too many plastic toys in the room. I thought, "Oh, come on....really?" I thought that was a little extreme.

I had decided that as I see wooden toys I'd start getting some. I didn't plan to replace but I thought it would be nice to have a few. I just got two cute wooden toys from Barnes and Noble for 75% off. Now that you have brought this up I think I'll just stick with the ones I have and not invest in too many!

I don't know if I ever remember a time that any plastic toys have fallen apart-family child care, large group center or @ playgroup!

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

You literally have to get old stuff from the 70s and 80s.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Vintage-Antique-Toys-/717/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=community+wooden

The "Community" trucks will last forever. You might need to sand them a little to get the dirt off, but they are unbreakable. I have a set that are probably 35 yrs old.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...uff&_sacat=717 Tuff Stuff will also never, ever break.

Old vintage Fisher Price toys are good too.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_saca...6+Antique+Toys Little Tykes ride on semi trucks...it's hard to win a bid, but they are favorites.

I'd love to purchase Community Playthings. They are so pricey though.

[littlemissmuffet]

I buy mostly Fisher Price plastic toys... I haven't had anything break from them... ever.

[youretooloud]

I'd love to purchase Community Playthings. They are so pricey though.

I know! New, they are over 100 bucks. I got mine from an old daycare center that was closing down in the 80s. I think these are from the 60s or 70s. But, the kids still love them.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I buy mostly Fisher Price plastic toys... I haven't had anything break from them... ever.

We have two Fisher Price toys that are older (made in late 70's and early 80's). They both look brand new and they have been played with a lot.

[Blackcat31]

One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.

I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.

[Country Kids]

One thing that really helps is proper care and use of toys. If I see kids abusing or being purposely destructive to toys, they are not allowed to play with them again until I know they can do so without breaking or destroying them.

I refuse to buy anything plastic. The plastic things I have now are temporary until they can be repaced with wooden toys. They might be more expensive but overall they are worth it.

I don't see my kids abusing them and all of a sudden they come up to me holding the pieces.

One of them was a triangle shape that goes to a Melissa/Doug set. They managed to break the tip of and not straight across but at a slant!:confused:

One propellar off of a wooden plane keeps coming off. We have glued it with everything and it keeps breaking off! The thing is, its not breaking its still a whole piece just won't stayed glued in the hole for some reason.

[cheerfuldom]

I dont have a huge toy breaking issue here but find a few things help with that

*teach the kids how to play with toys correctly and take away anything they cant handle
*purchase old school toys from yard sales and antique malls. Fisher Price is great!
*be careful about the brand of wooden toys you buy. like someone else said, many of the companies produce inferior products!
* put in cloth toys if you can, especially for the younger set. cloth books and blocks are great options, even swaths of fabric for dress up holds up better than the cheapie dress up costume sets
*keep your play room minimal so the kids are less tempted to trash an overflooded toy room because they are over stimulated and dont have respect for items, due to the sheer volume.

I never ever purchase brand new toys from department stores for my kids....95% of the stuff out there is just plain junk. we make a lot of our things (I sew, my husband wood works) or re-purpose items. For instance, I put in a half dozen sturdy baskets in the play room for no real purpose but that is one of the favorite things to play with. Think outside the box! My mom crocheted a dozen small blankies for baby dolls or whatever else and the kids have played with those every day for a year and they still look great! I go on pinterest for ideas. I hung up a few mirrors in the room and the kids love that. We also made a discovery board (different knobs and such) and are doing a magnetic wall next.