Nothing beats great kid’s toy like versatile great kid's toy. We have our top 5 picks for great toys and activities that can not only be educational but can be used in multiple ways so you don’t have to keep adding to your child's ever growing toy box.
1. Building Blocks
This favourite has a multitude of uses.
- Build a fairy castle or an island fortress.
- Build a road to interlink your toy house to a built up ice-cream shop.
Imagination is the limit and the more blocks you have the more fun stuff you can create.
2. Normal 52 Card Deck
Not only is this a versatile toy for kids but most adults will already have this lying around their house. We are not just talking about Snap and Solitaire here either.
- Young kids can practice counting, using the cards as flash cards.
- Display cards randomly throughout your house and have the kids go on a ‘Number Hunt’
- Separate the reds and blacks and play a memory game.
3. Puzzle Packs
Kid's puzzles come in a variety of different themes and difficulties. Puzzle packs are usually 8 puzzles with 4 levels of difficulty. Having your kids go through and master each level can give you minutes up to an hour of peace.
Has your child mastered every level? Mix the pieces up into a small pile and try and solve the different puzzles at once.
- Draw up a pirate map of your house with multiple ‘X’ marks the spots and have your child treasure hunt for all their pieces.
- Trace the completed puzzles cut out lines with a piece of paper and have your kids have fun drawing and creating their own puzzles.
4. Play-dough
You can make anything out of play-dough. Kids can make their own version of a snowman to play with or they can practice creating their numbers and letters.
Let’s face it though. This is the messiest out of the 5.
Keep mess to a minimum through guided play. Print a sheet of the alphabet and laminate it to create their own personal play mats they can practise on or print multiple sheets and laminate a town so your kids can make their own citizens jumping from shops to parks. Creativity is endless.
5. Activity/Colouring Books
With a wide variety to choose from these are definitely fun for kids. Activity Books can have up to a hundred pages of fun activities for your kids to quietly work through. Colouring in their favourite super hero in their favourite colours can also spark their creativity. But we love this not only for the unlimited options and its cheap price tag but also for its ease of mobility.
Pick up a book and a small pencil case and you have a fun activity you can take anywhere. For long car trips or an unavoidable trip with them to your office this is a quick way to keep your kids entertained. Swapping out the book anytime is also a great way to keep this activity fresh and it can be as educational and creative as you want.