https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:17:57 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061975 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 11:11:57 +0000 Cole 1061975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of my favorite tricks to help me decide what to purge requires putting some stuff away but it is temporary so you might be able to swing it. I take away about 2/3 of everything (if possible) leaving only the things I am fairly certain they are done with. I watch over the next few days to see what, if anything, gets played with. The last time I did this they played with one thing only and the rest of the time preferred other non-toy activities. Everything that isn't getting used goes. Then I do it again with another third. I intentionally leave the favorites for the final third. </p> <p>From about 3 and up we play "keep or give away", I explain that some families don't have many toys and we have quite a few (and if it is near a gift holiday I point this out too), not only is it nice to share the things we are done with but it also gives the kids more room to play (which they all seem to like). Then I hold up objects and ask "keep or give away?" I have always been amazed at the choices they make. I have probably done this with 7 kids now and only 1 has ever tried to keep everything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061860 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:35:12 +0000 808love 1061860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: same here. I loved them as a kid. LO is out of that phase but she plays with babies at school and her stuffed animals at home. Stuffed animals are the one thing I wouldn't mind tossing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061810 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:23:36 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1061810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: Thats a good rule! She loves her push/ride toys though and has been playing with them since before she could walk, so well over a year! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061633 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:48:09 +0000 honeybear 1061633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a one-year rule for toys: If it isn't going to interest LO for at least 1 year (and preferably much longer!), I won't buy it. We skipped all push/pull toys for this reason and most ride-ons because we don't have a yard or sufficient sidewalks. Of your list, we have a basketball hoop (gift), train set (no table), and blocks. We have a bazillion Legos and Duplos, so I still have the "little pieces all over the place" problem! Baskets help, but don't completely solve that issue. I like the baskets because they're easy to stow in the closet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061608 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:41:46 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1061608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The one thing I didn't list but is getting sold is an inflatable ball pit that is huge! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061603 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:41:22 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1061603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: It just breaks my heart to get rid of all the little people because I loved those sets SO much as a kid and I want her to like them! </p> <p>@looch: Yes, I don't think I can get rid of the ride on toys. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061600 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:40:37 +0000 looch 1061600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: I know, and he's into trains, so we have two kinds of Thomas and a Duplo set.</p> <p>The ride on stuff is at my parent's house, they don't have a garage, so the stuff lives outside (for now). Since it's all second hand, I don't worry too much about it getting wrecked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061593 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:38:56 +0000 mrs. wagon 1061593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: omg. I always complain that we don't have a yard, but this makes me realize that it cuts down on the number of toys we have!!! I actually told Wagon Sr. that once we do have a yard, I want a separate toy storage solution for outdoors, and not the garage. Maybe a little toy shed or tent? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061589 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:38:13 +0000 T-Mom 1061589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a desk/easel and it hasn't gotten much use. Even though my daughter loves art. The one we have is by Step2, and it's just not enough space for her and she just opts to work at the dining room table. Our T ball set has gotten zero use but I'm just keeping it around for DS. We have too many ride-on toys because people love to give them as gifts! I need to give some of those away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061588 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:37:51 +0000 mrs. wagon 1061588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also got rid of all Little People things because 1) WJ wasn't into them and 2) I was going crazy with all the little pieces floating about. </p> <p>We're lucky that he's not into trains so we don't have a train table or any trains.</p> <p>We have a basement that we use as a guest room / play room so we're lucky to be able to store things away if he's not using them. Then on rainy days we go down there and he's thrilled with all the "new" toys. Haha. </p> <p>Now that LMW is around we have kept almost everything that we didn't clear out when WJ became an older toddler, and we have added a few things I got used that I heard great things about (Fisher Price Learning Home, etc). Basically if they're not into something, I clear it out to the basement and eventually either sell or donate it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061584 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:37:23 +0000 looch 1061584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: Does she need the kitchen, or the food itself?</p> <p>I also forgot about the ride on toys (we have a tricycle, a car, two parent steering 3 wheelers and a wheelbarrow). My son would have a fit if we got rid of any of them, because his play method is to ride each one from one end of the yard to the other and park them. Rinse, repeat.</p> <p>So I hear you, it's difficult to thin toys! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061575 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:34:18 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1061575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Yes, one of the things I am thinking of getting rid of is the little people set. We have a lot of pieces (farm, school, bus, car, airplane, and animal alphabet). She just doesn't love it. </p> <p>I was planning on selling the kitchen but after she got a cash register for her birthday and can play grocery store she's been playing with it more. </p> <p>Playing with babies is her absolute favorite thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061564 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:31:23 +0000 looch 1061564@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son isn't really into Little People in terms of playing with the people, but he has the airplane, helicopter, bus, fire truck and he regularly plays with all of them.</p> <p>He couldn't care less about the play kitchen, so if I had to choose from your list, I would get rid of that.</p> <p>If your LO plays with the dolls, I'd get rid of the high chair, most likely, because my son loved the doll stroller. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061547 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:27:11 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1061547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Pen: We have a back sun porch that we use kinda as a play room. So right now its all between her room, the living room, and the sun room. We don't have storage for big stuff like this anywhere else. When she moved to her twin beds, I was able to get some good under the bed storage for littler stuff that we rotate. I feel like she would play with these more if they were rotated or just not so many but I don't know how to pick and choose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061537 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:25:09 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1061537@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you possibly put about half in storage, and a couple month s from now mix it up a bit? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-decide-what-bigger-toys-to-buy-for-your-toddler#post-1061529 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:22:30 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1061529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel like we are swimming in toys. A lot have been hand-me-downs or consignment finds so we don't have a lot of money invested in them so I would like to clean them out some. Do you just have all of these toys or do you carefully choose? If you choose, how? </p> <p>Kitchen and play food<br /> Musical instruments (we have a drum, guitar, and piano)<br /> Push/ride toys<br /> Train/lego table<br /> Pretend toys like little people sets<br /> Blocks<br /> Tent/Tunnels<br /> Art supplies (desk/easel)<br /> Sports supplies (basketball hoop, t-ball set)<br /> Baby dolls (blankets, beds, high chair, stroller) </p>