With two toddlers on our hands, we have acquired a bunch of toddler toys and products to keep them entertained. Some we love, some we barely use, but let me tell you, we have a lot of stuff. I quickly learned that quality matters when it comes to toys and kids gear. We of course have tons of inexpensive little toys, but their hype soon wears off and we end with a quantity over quality issue.
A big item on my current to-do list is to go through all of our toddler toys to see what we should trash, donate, and keep. In even just thinking about this task, it’s very obvious that the big ticket items are what my kids use and love the most. So if you’re considering adding some big ticket items to your home, here are a few of our favorites that I highly recommend (as do my kids!). If you’re making a gifting wishlist for your kids or just considering some of these items. read on for five of our favorite big ticket toddler items.
1. Lalo Play Kit
I chose this table for it’s aesthetics and I have to say, it looks pretty great in our kitchen. It’s also a very quality piece and is something my kids sit at every single day. My kids eat snacks at the table and use it as a crafting and coloring space. There was a short period where Millie would sit there for breakfast and I hope in the near future Millie and Ezra will sit there together for breakfast. If you need a kids table and chair set, I highly recommend this one for both it’s style and function.
2. TonieBox and Tonies
We recently got a Tonie player and I didn’t totally get it at first. It’s a story and music playing device so in theory we can just play music on our Alexa and I can read books to the kids. While I still do both of those things, the Tonies player is still a super fun and cute item for toddlers. There are different figures that go on top of the box and tell stories. It’s so easy to use that even Ezra has mastered it. I can’t say they typicaly sit for long periods and listen to it, but I think that will come. We’ve brought it on road trips and the kids also like to play around with it in the house.
We also have the Yoto Player which I also recommend, however I recommend the Yoto for older kids as there is more content and I recommend the Tonies for toddlers since it’s easier to use and has the fun figurines.
3. Play Couch
To foster your kid’s imagination and adventure, a play couch is a great item. You can help to rearrange the cushions to make different structures for climbing and playing and at the end of the day, it’s also simply a nice play for your kids to chill out. If you need some inspo, I recommend following Nugget Couch on IG, their posts show various ways to set up the cushions.
4. Pickler Climber
I have a somewhat hesitant toddler when it comes to climbing and having this climber in our basement has been an interesting experience. At first she wanted nothing to do with it, then wanted to use it with some heavy assistance, and now explores it on her own. It’s really amazing to watch. And of course as your typical fearless second child, Ezra is already climbing on it himself. While this item is expensive and isn’t used every day, I love having it as a challenging item for our kids to explore from the comfort of our basement.
5. Play Kitchen
This item is an absolute must for us. Millie at 3 years old loves pretend play and can spend lots of time with her play kitchen. Her and Ezra serve up pretend meals and run their own diner. It’s a physically big item, but one I highly recommend. We have the Melissa & Doug Star Diner Set and also just added the Cloud Kitchen (though we still need to build that one!).
What are the most loved items in your toddler toys house? Please share below!
