Mama Monday: Toys with Staying Power

It's Mama Monday again over at Erin's blog!

I sure wish that I'd had some kind of comprehensive list of toys that really entertain before we had Anna. We don't really have a lot of big (in size) toys, like a play kitchen or doll house, although I would love to get the Rose Petal Cottage for Anna before she gets too old. (Does anyone have this? Know about it? Heard anything good or bad? If so, please leave me a comment!) We have lots of little clutter creating toys with small pieces that I can never keep track of. I keep telling myself that I need to go through her toys and weed out the ones she doesn't play with, but I'm a much better procrastinator than I am de-clutterer. At least I'm good at something!

(For those of you who don't know my family and landed here via Mama Monday, it might help to know that I have one kiddo, Anna, who is 25 months old.)

There are a few toys that Anna plays with consistently:

1. Baby Xylophone/Piano--We have a generic brand that came from Wal-Mart, but something like this will work too. Anna enjoyed banging on this when she was only 6 months old, but now she likes to be a little performer and "play" her own accompaniment as she sings her favorite songs. (Usually "Ba Ba Black Sheep" or "How Do You Know?" Yup, she's still in love with Enchanted.)

2. Stackable/Nesting Cups--We have these and they are AWESOME! I think we got them when Anna was 5 or 6 months old and at the time her main fascination was with the little ball on the top; it has a bell inside. She really has never stopped playing with them. She went through a phase where she liked to make them into balls and roll them around and now she uses them for creative play--as bowls for her pretend cooking, hats for her baby dolls, rings for her fingers... As a plus, they are great for teaching colors, comparative sizes, and numbers. Oh, we also have some generic nesting cups and these fun alphabet boxes.

3. A Walking/Riding toy--We have an older model in primary colors, but here is the updated version. We got this when Anna was 9 months and started walking and it's been a favorite ever since. I think she plays with it almost every day.

4. Our old cell phones--While not technically a toy, an old cell phone has provided hours--maybe even days worth--of entertainment and imaginary play for Anna. It's so much fun to hear her make her "phone calls" and eavesdrop on her "conversations." Sadly, her last phone broke a couple weeks ago and she is still asking where it is. Too bad we're not planning on getting a new phone anytime soon, although I sure would like a new 3G.

All that said, toys are great, but I think all a toddler really needs is his or her imagination. We don't have a play kitchen with fake food, or mini nursery items for Anna's baby dolls. This doesn't stop my girl! She just uses what we've got--very creatively, I might add. Throw in some crayons and a blankie and we're all set!