Which of LAST year’s holiday gifts are your kids still loving?
That’s it that’s the post :)
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thetourist328
Not even last year, or the year before that- my kids (age 5 and 6) have used the Melissa & Doug ice cream shop nearly every day since they got it Christmas 2022. We got the sub shop last year and they use that a lot as well.
Kcquesdilla
This!! And every kid who comes to our house has to try it!!
i_ate_all_the_pizza
We leave our ice cream shop out every time one particular friend comes over she always asks for it!
Goldfinch-island
Yesss our ice cream shop is the biggest hit! Ages 4 and 1.5
avsh8
This has been the best gift that I bought for my kids 7 or so years ago and a huge favorite for anyone we’ve gifted it to over the years. We donated ours before a cross country move and my kids still ask me to buy them another one whenever they see it at a friend’s place. 100% recommend.
eyoxa
Yes! This ice cream playset has been a favorite of my soon to be 4 year old’s all year long!
clp1234567
This is my absolute goat gift I buy for people when their kids turn 1. Years of play I’ve yet to see a kid come to our house and not gravitate towards it immediately!
itsallablur19
Honestly, the ice cream shop is the best gift ever. My 5 yo got this so long ago i forgot when she got it and it gets used routinely.
Average_Redditor10
Our kids are obsessed with their ice cream shop too 😂
No-Zucchini4050
My kids are obsessed too!
Dubbin31
https://www.target.com/p/melissa-38-doug-wooden-cool-scoops-ice-creamery-play-food-toy/-/A-91127530 Is this the one you’re talking about? Now I wanna get it for my 2.5 year old!
thetourist328
We have the simpler version (easier to clean up lol) but I’m sure that one would be a hit, too! It’s also on sale right now ($35 is about the cheapest I’ve ever seen it) plus a $10 off $40 toys coupon!
HeartFullOfHappy
Same!
sjyork
We got our yoto player two years ago for Christmas. It’s still our most used toy.
Avaylon
I can't recommend YOTO players enough. I debated between that and a Tonie box and I'm so glad I went with YOTO. The ability to play any of the YOTO cards in the car via the app on my phone is awesome.
vitamin_d_drops45
Can someone explain the Yoto hype? Is it like an audiobook for kids?
Avaylon
Ours plays audio books, music, and podcasts. It's also an alarm clock, a timer, a sleep sound machine, and a Bluetooth speaker.
One of my favorite features is the app because I can control the player with my phone, so if I need to turn off my son's "wake up for school" alarm after he's asleep because of a snow day or something I can do that without disturbing him. I also have access to all of his Yoto cards in the app so I can play them in the car without physically bringing them on long trips.
I also like that the Yoto cards include books for older children or even adults.
noflash_please
When you don’t bring the cards and play from your phone, does it play through the car speakers or through the Yoto? Like could you play on the Yoto at a restaurant (with headphones) using only your phone and no card?
sweettutu64
Just a heads up that Yoto allows AI generated content to be used and even recently held a contest for yoto content creators that encouraged the use of it.
There's also a Yoto original card called Songs For Little Scientists that encourages children use AI to do research for their science experiments.
For the record, we have both the Yoto and Toniebox and both are in use by my kids. Toniebox has done a great job adding more content for older kids and I don't think you can go wrong with either, although considering the AI usage I now recommend the Toniebox over the Yoto Player.
ajbanana08
Dang, that's gross. We have both and I generally prefer the Yoto, at least for my 4 year old, but that's really disappointing.
avsh8
This was going to be my recommendation. We bought ours 3 years ago (kids were 7 and 3 then) and it still gets used almost daily.
chezgirl06
We love Yoto here too
parsely
Yeah another Yoto vote. My kids have been using it for 3-4 years now and they have learned so much information without us trying. The added bonus of myo cards has been great to add content that we enjoy. Even me and my husband have our own playlist on yoto to play on long car rides lol.
Katelynwj
We've had a yoto, nugget and magnatiles still played with for 2+ years.
ObscureSaint
Do my Chirp wheels for my back count? I can never find them when I need them anymore, lol, the kids stole these as soon as they saw them. These get more play than anything bought for xmas ever, I highly recommend them.
Fun for rolling and having races/competitions to see who can roll it straighter and farther. Fun to lay across and stretch and roll. And they stack inside each other.
pondersbeer
Excellent to know my husband has these and never use them. Hopefully our baby will get more use out of them then him 🤣
wonderwyzard
Im sorry to report that the Staplestein stepping stones are used every single day in my house. Not the connector board so much, but those dang stones have had a strangle hold for several years now.
NikJunior
Dumb FTM question incoming (genuinely asking): ...what makes them fun for your kids?
wonderwyzard
I think because they are light and modular and colorful. So they are "floor is lava" stones/ obstacle courses, they are bowls to hold things, three becomes a chair, four becomes a silly chair thats too high. Two are steps to brush your teeth (we have a stool, but these are more fun?). I like them because they stack up neatly, but I literally restack them every single day. Most days I don't even know what they were used for.
Baaaaaah-baaaaaah
Bahahahaha I’ve been eyeing these up
1tangledknitter
I've been wanting to get these so this is great to hear!! Do they slip on hardwood?
wonderwyzard
No-- We had old real wood hardwoods floors and I have never noticed slipping. I have seen people say they add hot glue dots to the bottom, but maybe they have new engineered hardwood and its slicker? IDK.
Financial_Use1991
We have 100 year old hardwood and I haven't noticed slipping either and they are also what I would have added to this list! (plus animal puppets, blocks, and instruments)
Mayberelevant01
Plastic animal figurines. Pikler triangle and slide, though my son has never shown much interest in the accompanying arch. Nugget chunk used as a ball pit. He was 11 months last Christmas, so almost 2 now for reference.
Baaaaaah-baaaaaah
Play kitchen and also the Melissa and Doug’s ice cream shop mentioned in the other comment
Haunting-Respect9039
My in-laws got the Lovevery play kitchen for my kiddo for Christmas. They'll be 15 months when they get it and I'm looking forward to it! Kiddo is really into washing hands lately, so I'm ready for a huge mess around the sink until the novelty wears off. 😆
CheeseFries92
Magnatiles/Picasso tiles and LEGO. Always
Also play kitchen but maybe even more so, the toy food! I feel like a lot of people spend their budget on the kitchen, but what you really need to blow the budget on is the food for engaging creative play!
Opening_Repair7804
Cutable fake food is the winner for my toddler!
FutureColor
At what age do you think magnatiles are a good gift?
CheeseFries92
I think we got ours when our kiddo turned 2? Of course, how they play with them changes over the years but that's part of what makes them so great!
print_isnt_dead
Magnatiles 4eva. My 9 and 12 year olds still play with them. Grownups like playing with them!
Goldfinch-island
Yoto player Ice cream shop Dinosaur figurines Books books and books Monster trucks
NikJunior
Little People School Bus. Our neighbors moved and gave it to us, and we gave it to our son for the holidays and it still slaps. Also our play couch (we got the brentwood homes one). Our son is 21 months now.
great9904
My 15 month old is loving his Tonie box, Christmas last year was way too early to give it to him, but I got an amazing Black Friday sale so I figured why not. Every morning he yells for it to be taken down off the counter to he can pick a figure and turn it on. Christmas this year will be filled with more figures so we can stop listening to the same songs over and over.
Effective-Isopod258
Hate to break it to you but you will still be listening to the same songs over and over. 😂
Kat_n_that
About 3 years ago I got my niece a wooden animal barn with wooden animal toys inside, she's 7 now and still uses it all the time
ljr55555
I have an older kid -- drone (she was so proud to complete the required CBT and test for recreational flight in the US), multitool (like a leatherman), and knitting needles. The scarves she's knitted get used and loved too.
Mean-Responsibility4
How old was she when she learned to knit? My 7 year old has been asking me to teach her and I started to try, but I don’t know if she has the dexterity yet.
ljr55555
A little older (10), but check out knitting looms. They have circle ones for hats and rectangle ones for scarves. If you have large, spaced out pegs you have to use a super bulky yarn (sometimes even two strands, which looks cool). Finer, more closely spaced pegs work with finer yarns.
Our girl loved the set as her first intro to knitting. I still wear the first scarf she made. My mom has Parkinson's, and she uses them now because her hands tremble. So I don't even have unused craft stuff sitting around the house (well, yeah I do! But not the knitting looms!)
catscantcook
My kid got the hang of the basic motions at around 4, but still pulled the stitches off the needles a lot and got the yarn twisted around the needles. At 7 now she mostly just lacks the dedication/perseverance to sit there longer than like 5 minutes or try to fix mistakes.
IMustProfessImJess
Magnatiles!
emkrd
Stepping stones from pebblestones - they’re a dupe for staplestein (but still very nice imo) and they get used daily!
mamaofmia17
Tonies box, no doubt! Two christmases ago and used daily.
NikJunior
Yesss love to hear it. We are giving our almost 2 year old a Tonies Box this year. I hope he loves it!!
catinhat922
Three christmases for us! I was going to get my older kid (5) to a yoto to pass the toniebox down to the youngest (2) but he uses it daily still so I opted to get a second toniebox for my youngest instead.
Puzzled_Loquat_6610
Came here to say the same thing! My kids ages 9years to 10months all use it everyday!
ijustwanttobeanon
My ADHD kid still uses his kid size mini couch/chair thing (the soft kind that unfolds to be like a bed shape) as a crash pad. He got it for his 2nd birthday. He’s turning 6 next week.
MayoneggVeal
The indoor climbing gym we got them off Amazon. That big ol thing is just parked in the living room and always has a child hanging off it.https://a.co/d/ek3m9Nk
Onto_new_ideas
Nintendo switch two years ago when he was 8. Nothing else compares.
LEGO is a strong second without any other real contenders behind the top two. He's been getting LEGO sets since he was using Duplo and still plays with it at 10.
He's made a million different things with LEGO. Also loves Minecraft ;)
isiddiqu
Ikea play kitchen and ikea chalkboard/whiteboard easel.
monsingeetmoi
Dewdeaux
Giant crash pad
1213TB_UT35NS_FIM96
i second this. from flips to basement sleepovers, crash pad is a big hit.
also, off brand magna tiles get a ton of use.
Jamjams2016
Gymnastics bar, they use it all the time. A couple of years ago we gifted a weekend at an indoor water park a few months out, they still talk about it. Fun bandaids (shout out to welly!) always get used. The Melissa and Doug ice cream shop has been well used for a couple of years now. Blank canvases and acrylic paints. I found a huge dollhouse on the side of the road and they love it, though it wasn't an Xmas gift. Magnatiles, Play-Doh, and blocks are well loved year round. We got a sled they still use YEARS ago. And if you don't have Alexa, they really enjoy being able to pick songs (we turned the explicit option off).
iPineapple
Pikler triangle. Balance bike comes in second place… not used every day, but still used often and she’s finally getting the hang of it!
Objective-Chard4944
Tonie box Christmas 2023. It’s become even more of a favorite as my toddler has gotten older
notbizmarkie
Melissa and Doug salad kit.
CalatheaCleo
Magnatiles and Tonie box
mrsissippi
Magnatiles
[deleted]
resaj28
A ball pit with foam steps and ramp , play kitchen, stepping stones (we have Stapelstein brand but I saw lots of brands make cheaper dupes now). These all get used daily. Magnatiles and little people sets also get used frequently but not quite daily.
ludichrislycapacious
Books mostly, and the Pikler triangle. And some bath toys (I only bring out 1-2 at a time, and it came in a set of 12ish).
Bmboo
Giant bean bag chair from pottery barn
sunshineatthezoo
We got one of those cloth swings and hung it in our basement rec room, that and their nuggets. Constantly making obstacle courses and running around!
Upbeat_Truth_4900
Play kitchen, small table and chairs (with removable top and sensory bins), Nugget couch - all still used every day and probably will be for years She was 18 months last Christmas. This year we’re going to get a mini Yoto player.
BonyWrinklyKnees
Magnatiles (particularly the track designs) and a light board.
ashmkim
kfox96
Tonie box. Best thing ever. Screen free play. Singing, dancing, story time, learning all in 1. Easy for them to control on their own.
Top_Pie_8658
Our Wood and Hearts climbing playhouse has been in daily rotation for almost 2 years now. We have a Toki mat inside it (the smaller one almost fits exactly) so she loves to sit in there and play with toys in addition to climbing all over it
Edit: just checked on them and they have redesigned some of the ropes which I dont think are as nice and is waaayyyy more expensive than when we got it (like 2x)
yellowbogey
Play kitchen (IKEA) and accessories (IKEA pots/pans and Melissa and Doug for pretty much everything else.
Little People Barbie Dream House
Little People Barbie Airplane
Melissa and Doug wooden (plain) blocks
Dot markers/paint sticks
Slip Hop tiny backpack
These are all huge hits in our home a full year later!
Substantial-Ad8602
Stuffies and books. All in very regular rotation.
ForgotMyOGAccount
Wooden kitchen from tinyland is still played with by toddler and baby. We’ve had it for 3 ish years now.
Outrageous_Act9300
Magnatiles...and I'm sure we'll be adding more to our collection this year. They've been playing with them daily since they were 3 and 5 and they are now about to be 7 and 9. My mom just got the magnatile marble run kit for Mt 3 year old for his birthday and few weeks ago and my older kids have played with it the most
FrogWhore42069
Costco brand Nugget
Yoto
Duplo train set and blocks (from two years ago)
Wooden train set (from 3 years ago)
CarefulStructure3334
Magnettiles, Melissa and Doug ice cream shop, little people, trains
ann_perkins911
Wiggle car
Apprehensive_Tip_792
Ball pit!
Expensive_Ocelot_422
Pop up books!
Bluejay500
Baby dolls and baby doll nursery center (step2, it's plastic, but easy to find used) and big recycling truck (at one point a baby doll was in the recycling truck but mostly played w separately bahaha)
MemoryElectrical2401
Duplo has been the most used toy “system” in our house. My 9 year old still plays with it even though he is a major Lego fiend as well
Agile_Ad3726
My daughter is obsessed with the dollhouse we gave her. And my son loves his noise-making car, lol
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