Toys That Your Kids Will Grow With

Toys That Your Kids Will Grow With

We have gone through a lot of toys in our house over the past four years, but there are a few that have stood the test of time. We don’t have a playroom and our house is pretty small, so we try to rotate our toys every few weeks to keep things interesting. Over time, we have found that the most played with toys are open-ended. Here is a list of the best toys that can be played with outside or inside, in a variety of ways, across many ages.

Counting bears

This is one of those toys where I didn’t see the thrill of it. But the girls have played with these every week, in some way, since Maeve was one. She is now four. They fill containers with them, sort them by color, bury them in the sand, make them go swimming in the water table, etc etc.

Magnatiles

These are so fun (even for adults) and can be used to build towers, houses for barbies, and garages for toy cars. They even stick on the garage door if you want to take them outside.

Wooden blocks

We have a set of these that were mine when I was little, from my grandparents. So really, these have stood the test of time over decades. They are totally open ended and can be used to build anything - really.

Play kitchen

We got this for Maeve’s first birthday and the girls play with it almost every day. They get so creative with this little kitchen and we have bought various fake food and play kitchen appliances for it.

Legos

Once again, completely open ended. We built a little lego table top for our ikea sensory table and the girls love to build towns with these or make rainbows by color sorting.

Tea set

This was another seemingly underwhelming toy, but the girls use this as a bath toy, a beach toy, and in their play kitchen.

Baby dolls

This is the most played with “toy” in our house lately. We take them for walks, change their diapers, have in depth conversations with the babies, and invite them to dinner time sometimes.

Plus plus

The large version of these is great for tinier hands, but we have both the small and large. They are a great alternative to puzzles and are more open ended. 

Hot wheels

Our girls love to play with these and they play with them differently as they get older. They are great to play with magnatiles, or wooden blocks, or with painters tape on the floor to make a parking lot.

Ikea sensory table

This takes up some space, but it lives in our main living space. It is pretty to look at, hides toys in the bins under the table top, and is so versatile. It is great for coloring, crafts, sensory play, legos, and snack time.