Friday, February 22, 2008

(JessFinds) The Simple Toy

Today is a snow day - and we are getting a lot of snow. I spent a good part of this morning outside with Miss Crab, hitting the slopes. We have a plastic scoop sled that fits one adult and one tot. So there we were, covered in snow and laughing ourselves stupid. It was so much fun. Miss Crab made snow angels and we hunted "animal" tracks in the snow. Snow is a great toy. A simple sled is a great toy. Miss Crab announced that "Mommy gave me the present of snow!" this morning to The Preacher. Cute kid. So that brings me to the idea of simple toys. The ones that get the most use. The ones that the kids will get the most out of. Here is what has mattered (toy-wise), in no particular order, in my short time on Earth as a parent:

1. A radio flier walker-wagon. It gave my first great joy, falling out of it regularly and learning to walk with it. Now Baby Gonzo sits in it and reads her touch-and-feel books. 

2. The favorite stuffed animal. This is a trial and error type of toy and can result in box loads of stuffed animals infiltrating your home. Miss Crab still sleeps with the "Honky Bear" a teddy bear she was given as an infant ... it has a nose that squeaks. Hence, Honky Bear. Baby Gonzo loves (obsessively) a raccoon with a belly that lights up. It is a Nocturnimal by Manhattan Toys that Auntie Ray Ray bought for Baby Gonzo's birthday. Look at that face.



3. Blocks. Loc-Blocks, Legos, Duplo, wood blocks, etc... Any sort of blocks are good for kids. I found these soft-blocks that look like wood. They are foam. Baby Gonzo can safely chew on them and Miss Crab can build until exhausted. My attempts at "playing together" are working!

4. A mirror. Nuff said.

5. Blankets, pillows, boxes, chairs and tables -- fort building materials. Miss Crab does not call them forts, she calls them Rescue Centers. Most frequently they are kitty rescue centers but on occasion they are turtle rescue centers. 

6. A kiddie-pool or slip-n-slide. My parents even resorted to black tarp with a running hose. Yes, the scorched buttocks were worth it. 

What are your simple toys? Do you have a toy that is indispensable? Something you loved as a child?

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