Need Toy Suggestions

http://perpetualimagination.net/index.html

call these guys...

There are great erector sets designed for that age. The instructions are such that they can follow them (you probably have to help the first time). It is a great skill building toy.

Go to lego.com.

there's probably a Learning Express in Atl.

I have a five year boy that is the kind of kid that takes no interest in toys that do his thinking for him. He’s very inventive; he finds tape, empty cups, sticks and straws more interesting that most of his toys. He also loves water, what it can do, how it flows through/past obstacles, etc.

.....if it ain't broke--don't fix it. Let him continue to play with the boxes, sticks and cups--maybe give him a small tool set and give him an old (non electric) alarm clock or typewriter to take apart and put back together in another way. Won't be long before he'll be hitting you up for the $1,000 solar-powered I-Pod.


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www.hearthsong.com

Some funn and unique things.

These are some great suggestions. Thank you so much!

www.hearthsong.com

Some funn and unique things.

They've been around for a long time. Our two are in college now and I remember buying from Hearthsong!

My sister who has young children has also used this company:
http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/

There is one...not very far from me. Thanks!!!

there's probably a Learning Express in Atl.

This place has some really great stuff. I love it

www.hearthsong.com

Some funn and unique things.

I love these classic toys! I didn't know they still made some of these. Thank you for this link

My sister who has young children has also used this company:
http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/[/quote]

Also, www.magiccabin.com. I think they are owned by Hearthsong now, but still more Waldorf like and have some really great things.

BTW, let him play with the non-toy stuff. It makes life more interesting & develops their imagination so well.

Thanks for the link. I really like their selection of outdoor toys, especially with the warm days to come.

I definitely let him play with the non-toy stuff. He has a great imagination. He came to me today with a drawing of a new kind of heater he is inventing. I am not kidding you. He drew a pic, and then took a box and tubes, straws and tape and made the thing.

He did something pretty special recently. Other than the hugs, kiss and I praise I want to reward him with something special. I want it to be a toy that is special and unique, just like him.

Also, www.magiccabin.com. I think they are owned by Hearthsong now, but still more Waldorf like and have some really great things.

BTW, let him play with the non-toy stuff. It makes life more interesting & develops their imagination so well.

I don't know if he would find blocks fun but my son & all his friends sure did. He's 17 and they are still stacked in the corner of his room. He's asked many times for us to be sure and save them for his own kids one day. These cardboard blocks are very durable. When he was done playing with them for the day, we would just contain them loose in several large laundry bags. No need to stack.

One thing that sounds REALLY weird, but is the hands down, best thing we have ever bought for our kids..... playsilks. (They have boyish colors also, even large ones for huge tents.) Kids from 1-12 both boys & girls have played dress-up, built tents, made capes, had battles, snuggled baby dolls, etc with them. They're funn to use the imagination. Mr OM thought I was nuts but 4 years later, he wouldn't dream of not having them.

I bought mine from a lady near Dallas, GA who has an online shop but you can get them at magic cabin & other online stores.

Thanks JR & OM both of these ideas would interest him. He loves to build forts and dress up. He was a firefighter last Halloween, and he still likes to wear the costume. Thank you for these suggestions.

hey, my son LOVED his Easybake oven when he was about 7. All of his little loved it too! Most of the moms would never have bought one but it was a hit at our house!

The Kids' Crazy Concoction Cookbook is a good one too. Recipes for Slime, different playdoughs and other fun stuff. We also spent hours and hours with a mixture of cornstarch and water. Reach to the bottom of the bowl and pull up a handfull of wet stuff, by the time you get out of the water, it is drying. Technically it is a non-stable solid, hours of fun and easy to clean up because it is just dry cornstarch on the table.

The cardboard blocks...I was never so happy to see my kids out grow them. I ran two daycare centers and spent EVERY SINGLE DAY helping kids stack those things back up. However, they are a great toy and hours of creative fun and last forever.

The Kids' Crazy Concoction Cookbook is a good one too. Recipes for Slime, different playdoughs and other fun stuff. We also spent hours and hours with a mixture of cornstarch and water. Reach to the bottom of the bowl and pull up a handfull of wet stuff, by the time you get out of the water, it is drying. Technically it is a non-stable solid, hours of fun and easy to clean up because it is just dry cornstarch on the table.

The cardboard blocks...I was never so happy to see my kids out grow them. I ran two daycare centers and spent EVERY SINGLE DAY helping kids stack those things back up. However, they are a great toy and hours of creative fun and last forever.

yes, my son and his friends used to spend hours using them for castles, or roads for their cars, or props for their Legos. Even as recently as 3 or 4 years ago when they were 13 or 14.

We ended up buying several sets. They're very durable too.

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There's this new imagination based toy called Bilibo... www.bilibo.com
I don't have one, but my friends kids do and all the kids seem to love it. It looks silly and boring to me, but what do I know, I'm not 5!

eta: I'm considering getting it because it's one piece. Anything with a million pieces in this household ends up scattered from one end of the place to the other or my 1 y/o attempts to eat it.

My brother and I loved Legos - I don't think we ever constructed what was shown on the box, but had a great time and found many other uses for them, including candle molds!

We also had great blocks - just basic shapes made from maple, but somehow we made "buildings" and "cities" 2-3x taller than us.

You must know my kid. This is exactly think kind of toy he would love. And yes, he has issues with losing parts to things. The things that have become unusable because of missing pieces, usually become part of his last invention.

Thanks for this suggestion.

There's this new imagination based toy called Bilibo... www.bilibo.com
I don't have one, but my friends kids do and all the kids seem to love it. It looks silly and boring to me, but what do I know, I'm not 5!

eta: I'm considering getting it because it's one piece. Anything with a million pieces in this household ends up scattered from one end of the place to the other or my 1 y/o attempts to eat it.

I don't know if he would find blocks fun but my son & all his friends sure did. He's 17 and they are still stacked in the corner of his room. He's asked many times for us to be sure and save them for his own kids one day. These cardboard blocks are very durable. When he was done playing with them for the day, we would just contain them loose in several large laundry bags. No need to stack.

I loved these as a child!!!!! In fact, gave a set to my 4 yr old nephew for Christmas! You actually put these blocks together, so you only use what you need!