We all have them. Those toys we thought were fantastic ideas at the time, but ones we’ve grown to despise once they are in our house. Most of these toys provide an excellent opportunity to develop physical or cognitive skills, or simply provide hours of entertainment. For that we love them. But for all those times we’ve stepped on a Lego piece or found a puzzle piece in our purse, we loathe them.
Here’s our top toys we love and hate:
1. Puzzles
When the kids are quietly occupied putting together a puzzle it’s bliss. After their masterpiece sits on the coffee table for a few days, getting all of those pieces back into the box is like herding cats.
2. Stickers
They are always stuck everywhere they shouldn’t be. Furniture. The dog. Mom’s butt…
3. Train and race car tracks
We help the kids build them into elaborate crisscross-ing courses that we show off to our spouse. Walk away and the kids manage to break them apart in thirty seconds flat. Hot glue might be our best friend here.
4. Sand tables
Need we really say any more?!
5. Bubbles
I love bubbles like anyone, but they quickly turn into a sticky, slippery mess. And those ‘washable’ colored bubbles? Let’s just say they aren’t so washable.
6. Magnetic letters
They seemed like a great way to teach the alphabet and spelling, but most of them end up under the refrigerator and leave me with F.A.R.T permanently magnetized to my fridge. (Is that Dad or the kids?!)
7. Plasma Cars
These cars are at the precise height to be out of view, providing the perfect tripping hazard. They are loud and leave scuffs on our floor, but we can forgive it when we get to steal them from the kids to race our spouse.
8. Magnetic dolls
Just like the letters, those magnets never seem to end up on the metal surface they are supposed to. Tip: Check your washer and dryer.
9. Play Dough
We all loved letting our imagination run wild with it as a kid ourselves. But when we’re the ones that have to clean the dried play dough out of our rugs it’s not so fun anymore.
10. Legos
It’s always amazing to see what the kids can create with Legos, but keeping them contained is a feat in itself. We say go for the nice storage system because the cost is worth the hope that you’ll never step on another piece.
As parents we may hate these toys. But our kids’ love for them them means they won’t be leaving our homes anytime soon. So every now and then forget about the mess and have a colored water balloon fight. Or let them spread those train tracks and doll pieces out everywhere in the name of hours of fun. It may be a fight for clean-up later, but it’s peace and quiet now. And maybe you can have a little fun yourself.
