Toys & Books

My Kids Are Older but These Toys Are Still Their Favorites

Not many things in #momlife are as stress-relieving as a good old toy purge.

Of course, it works when the kids aren’t around, lest the toys in the donate bin suddenly become prized treasures. During these delightful moments of decluttering their playroom, I sometimes feel bad about the waste as I watch old favorites go into the garbage or the giveaway pile.

I’ve been a mom for nearly seven years now, which hardly makes me an expert, but I have learned a little bit about what kind of toys last by watching what my kids continue to play with. It also helps taking note of the ones my mom and mother-in-law kept and now use to entertain their grandchildren.

Some of the toys on this list started as 1st birthday gifts for my kids and continue to bring nearly as much joy as the day they opened them. Actually, on that particular day, the wrapping paper only brought them joy, but you know what I mean.

 

Toys for Imaginative Play

I’m still surprised by how much use some of these toys still get. My kids love to play pretend, whether it be dressing up, playing restaurant, or creating a world for their Little People Princesses or their stuffed animals.

Toys that allow them to create another world for a while have lasted in our house – and I love that I can be a bystander in that world and not necessarily live in it.

Manhattan Toys
Play House
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Amazon
Melissa & Doug Barn
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Walmart
Tree House
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Target
Play Kitchen
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Amazon
PlanToys Wooden Play Food
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Walmart
Lab Coat Costume
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Amazon
Ergo Baby Doll Carrier
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Target
Shopping Cart
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Amazon
Cash Register
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Kid Furniture That Lasts

Kid tables end up as great investments. While you might buy them to have a craft or coloring space for your child, you’ll find they are also wonderful seating for kids’ birthday parties, holidays, and more. Additionally, having an outdoor seating option for kids makes warm weather mealtime so much more fun.

Target
Windsor Table
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Target
Windsor Chairs
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Pottery Barn Kids
Large Craft Table
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Wayfair
Picnic Table
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My kids still love their anywhere chairs. As they’ve gotten older, the chairs have moved beyond bedtime stories and have been used as climbers, thrones, and even pushed together to become a rocket ship.

Crate & Kids
Large Nod Chair
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Inspiring Classic Creativity

While my oldest has started getting into the “big kid” LEGO sets, she still loves to construct castles, zoos, and other imaginative scenes using Duplos and wooden blocks. Without step-by-step directions, these classic toys give her the freedom to create whatever she wants – and her younger sister can build with her too.

Amazon
Duplos
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Amazon
Wood Building Blocks
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As a toddler, my daughter used to “paint” our easel chalkboard with water and occasionally paint a picture. Now that my kids are older, they still love to paint, and we recently realized it also works great as a lemonade stand sign!

Amazon
Art Easel
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Amazon
Craft Paper Rolls
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Melissa & Doug
Easel Accessory Set
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Toys for Outdoor Play

The simple joy brought on by playing with a ball starts when your kids are babies and can last until their teens. Of course, your kid will grow out of dunking on this kid-size hoop before they’re a teen, but its adjustable height will grow with them for a while.

best first birthday gift hoop
Little Tikes
EasyScore Basketball Hoop
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Amazon
Turtle Kickball
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