Quarantine has turned my home into a really shady preschool. I have never been super organized (or organized at all really), but the number of toys, art projects, chunks of dog hair (?!), etc. laying around the house are currently at an all time high. The other day I was trying to strain pasta, and couldn’t find the sieve. When I asked Margot where it was, she told me to “hold on a sec,” and grabbed it from the backyard. She had been using it to collect “sticks and slugs.” Cool. But the good news is, we never have guests anymore, so WHO THE HECK CARES?
We initially moved to California because I am not good at being inside for long periods of time. We spent most of Margot’s first three years at the beach, the park, the mountains, museums, etc. Never in a million years did I think a pandemic would hit and I would lose my mind on Amazon looking for toys that could replace Disneyland or “the woods.” But alas, here we are.
In the past 3 months, we have bought a truly shameful number of toys. Some great, and some that I have already rage-donated. So, I thought it might be helpful to some other stir-crazy mamas if I included a list of our most-loved quarantine toys on the blog today. I have organized the list based on which kid(s) play with them most, and even included one that I bought for myself. Let me know what you think, and if your kiddos love any of these toys too!
Full disclosure: This may just be part 1 of a who knows how long series.
Max: 14 months
Cement Mixer
Max is at prime shape-sorting age. He still doesn’t quite understand the idea of turning the shapes around to make them fit, so he often gets frustrated and tries to hulk-smash this toy. Sometimes I guide his hand, but other times I let him struggle. When he fails, he collapses in grief, but when he figures it out, the amazement on his face is PRICELESS.
Bag Shape Sorter
This toy is very similar to the one above, but Max loves carrying it around by the handle. This is one of the few toys Margot “helps” him with, as they both love filling it with random objects and pretending its a suitcase for “vacations,” which are now just another thing I have to explain away as a relic of the old world order.
Push Around Buggy (Car)
We bought this for Margot for her 1st birthday because she was refusing to sit in the stroller. Max (go figure) loves the stroller, but also enjoys this. The horn is his favorite feature, and our elderly neighbors are always delighted when he shrieks and honks at them on our evening walks.
Margot: 3 Years
Face Paint
Margot’s favorite part of any birthday party is the face paint. (If you are hosting a party for toddlers and did not hire a teenager to paint her face, she will not shy away from sharing her disappointment.) Since there are no birthday parties in sight for us in the near future, this has been a fun substitute. This kit comes with stencils, but it’s also pretty easy to look up face paint pictures on Google and do a decent imitation. We usually do this when Max is asleep, and, yes, she likes to give me “princess crowns,” which is really just code for “ALL of the green paint.”
Daniel Tiger Board Game
This is a super cute introduction to board games for toddlers. It’s basically a tiny model of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and the players have to go around the board filling their “backpacks” with items from stores and giving “gifts” to other players. It has helped us practice taking turns, being patient and sharing. We also play by Margot’s rules some of the time, which make no sense, and mostly involve her hoarding all of the items on the board. Less fun for me, but thrilling for her.
Lego Dollhouse
I really wanted to get Margot a dollhouse. And by that, I mean I really wanted to get myself a dollhouse. But right now, Margot isn’t really into dolls or dollhouses. However, she loves Legos, which has made this a really great toy for the whole family. We have spent several weekend mornings redesigning the house (there are directions for constructing several different layouts), and Margot seems to be more motivated to play with the tiny family after actually constructing their home herself.
BEADS!
These were really a gift for me. (See last section.)
Both: (Max, 14 Months and Margot, 3 Years)
Grocery Cart
We have a toy grocery store to go with this, but they honestly like the carts better. They tend to use them bumper-car style: Each kid grabs a cart and they run around the room screaming until they eventually ram into one another and spill their “groceries” everywhere. They also use them to cart other toys around the house, and then get mad later when they can’t find said toys.
Reusable Stickers (for sticker book or windows!)
We initially bought these for a plane trip pre-pandemic. On the plane, Margot played with them in the book for a while, but really enjoyed sticking them to the windows and tray table of the plane. At home, we usually play with them on the sliding glass doors. Margot will fiddle around with these INDEPENDENTLY for 10 minutes or so at a time, making up little stories or “movies” with the different people/animals. She has recently starting teaching Max how to play as well. It’s a great “do something while I make dinner” activity.
Me: 32 Years
I have been making bead bracelets with Margot for a few months now, and have found the process to be very therapeutic. However, I don’t love actually wearing these enormous, animal-shaped, chunky bead bracelets. So I bought myself the kind of bead kit that I had at camp as a kid and have spent many a night peacefully beading away. Dan thinks its weird, but I give it an 11/10.
Ok now I want to know the toys that you immediately donated too. Totally getting the face paint kit for addy