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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Is Your "Hot" Toy Right Now ?
mindi1314 02:59 PM 02-05-2014
I have a little extra money in the budget this month and want to get 1 or 2 new toys/learning/educational items for my daycare.
I only have 2-3 year olds in care.
Wondering what your favorite toy is that the children go to everyday.

Thanks !
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SilverSabre25 03:01 PM 02-05-2014
wooden train tracks and train cars
unit blocks
matchbox/hot wheels cars (HUGE bin of them)
BIG trucks

Close seconds are:
wooden "chunky" puzzles (like the Melissa and Doug ones)
balls
play kitchen and accessories.
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SilverSabre25 03:02 PM 02-05-2014
Just realized that I named pretty much every toy that's out right now...I have 3 boys ages 1.5, 2.5, and 5.
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kelsey's kids 03:21 PM 02-05-2014
My kids that age group have been fascinated with an imaginX boat I bought.
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originalkat 03:22 PM 02-05-2014
My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE the Magna Tiles!
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daycare 03:24 PM 02-05-2014
sticks and pegs
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providerandmomof4 03:33 PM 02-05-2014
Books, books......did I say books? Seriously, they always tire of the toys, but the books, they always go back to. I have all kinds. They also love when we have books on the Nook that read to them. I hold the Nook or they just push the screen
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blandino 03:54 PM 02-05-2014
Large beads from Oriental trading. I have them in a box with straws, pipe cleaners, and string. They love to bead.

Yesterday, I gave them flashcards and magnifying glasses and they had a field day.

I was able to buy a very large lot of Little People from a daycare going out of business sale, and they LOVE them.

And I have a lot of 3 year old boys right now, so cars & all sorts of tracks are a huge deal.
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spud912 03:57 PM 02-05-2014
Originally Posted by originalkat:
My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE the Magna Tiles!
I second Magna Tiles. It's the one toy with the most longevity (interest-wise) and all ages love them.

My kids love books too but I can get those for free at the library .
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jenboo 03:57 PM 02-05-2014
Play Kitchen!! The younger ones love it even though they dont know what they are doing. The older ones love to set the food on the table.

This one to be exact
http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-53173...o+play+kitchen
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Cat Herder 04:03 PM 02-05-2014
Whatever the other kid has

*** or hot wheels. You can never go wrong with hot wheels for free play times.
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CraftyMom 04:06 PM 02-05-2014
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Whatever the other kid has
Yup that says it
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coolconfidentme 04:12 PM 02-05-2014
The box the new filing cabinet came in...
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Unregistered 05:57 PM 02-05-2014
Giant waffle blocks
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Cradle2crayons 06:07 PM 02-05-2014
DEFINATELY little people anything.... Especially the farm....

Also... Play kitchen set up... It has a pretend cash register... Small buggy... And some items that pretend bar scan lol... Plus a small battery operated play washing machine....

And anything build able
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mountainside13 07:41 PM 02-05-2014
Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
Whatever the other kid has

*** or hot wheels. You can never go wrong with hot wheels for free play times.

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Leigh 08:59 PM 02-05-2014
My kids spend most of their time with the "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" ships Bucky and Jolly Roger, and all of the characters that go with them, the train table, Matchbox cars, and the Imaginext toys. I just bought Buzz Lightyear's spaceship, and they go looney over that, too.
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Meyou 12:44 AM 02-06-2014
Right now it's empty "real" food containers: hot chocolate, honey, coffee, tea, oatmeal etc. I've been collecting them for a few weeks and the kids are in love!
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pandamom 02:58 AM 02-06-2014
magna tiles! I am a 2 year old caregiver, so I'm working with the same age group as you
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childcaremom 04:16 AM 02-06-2014
Play silks and real food containers
dollhouse

Also:
play kitchen
playdough
books

shovels and pails for outside snow play

Mine are all between the ages of 14 months and 2.5 years
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HomeMADE 05:29 AM 02-06-2014
Treo's ~ It's like Lego's, mega blocks, and magnetics all in one. While they are not magnetic, nor huge like mega blocks, nor are they tiny like the Lego's. But you can build to your wildest dreams. There are stick pieces, squares, people, windows and more.

Can you tell I love them too!!!

I give the kids challenges like build a house, make a circle, who can build the neatest spaceship, and it keeps them busy while I make lunch or clean.

My own children range from 12 to 4 and my youngest DC kid is 1 and they all love them.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 05:42 AM 02-06-2014
The little Legos (ages 2.5 through 5.5). I bought them for the oldest kids but ALL of the kids now know how to use them nicely and love them.
They build the most intricate creations out of them. I just have them all in a large plastic under the bed storage container.
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Unregistered 06:37 AM 02-06-2014
Magnatiles
Melissa and Doug stack and sort boards
mind jars- made from small pepsi bottles filled with glitter glycerine and water with food coloring added. These cost me about $1 each for the glitter, glue and glycerine...the kids LOVE them (check pinterest for other sensory jar ideas)
homemade slime for sensory play
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MarinaVanessa 07:16 AM 02-06-2014
Originally Posted by Meyou:
Right now it's empty "real" food containers: hot chocolate, honey, coffee, tea, oatmeal etc. I've been collecting them for a few weeks and the kids are in love!
I just did this also. It was a hit.

My "hot" toys that were purchased are
Magnetic set (magnetic wants, balls, disks etc)
Science stuff (plastic beakers with screw on caps, jumbo tweezers, droppers, goggles, scale etc)
Unit blocks
These awesome area shape puzzles.
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AcornMama 07:20 AM 02-06-2014
Originally Posted by coolconfidentme:
The box the new filing cabinet came in...


In January we had a whole week, I think, that was basically "fun with the boxes left over from Christmas deliveries." I had found a child's measuring tape at Goodwill. We measured boxes, sat in boxes, drove boxes, colored on boxes with markers. Wish I had some more boxes.
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AcornMama 07:22 AM 02-06-2014
Right now our marble race set (connecting tubes to send marbles through) is a big hit. But you might not want marbles for your younger ones. Mine are 3.5-4. You could do the same, though, with balls and ramps made from cardboard.
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Tdhmom 10:34 AM 02-06-2014
Princess dresses go on every single day, multiple times a day!
I have 3+ so we do a lot of Legos, blocks and Lincoln logs. And imaginext toys!! They are a bit on the pricey side but they last FOREVER!!!! We have almost every set they have on the shelves at stores and ones they don't make anymore. And not a single one has been broken!!
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 10:49 AM 02-06-2014
Right now-
Toob of penguins.


Always-
Duplos
Tractors
Pom Poms
Stacking cups (I have 3 sets from Dollar General that they LOVE) they use them as homes for the penguins, cups, cars etc. So imaginative with them)
Wood Puzzles
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Cradle2crayons 10:50 AM 02-06-2014
Originally Posted by AcornMama:


In January we had a whole week, I think, that was basically "fun with the boxes left over from Christmas deliveries." I had found a child's measuring tape at Goodwill. We measured boxes, sat in boxes, drove boxes, colored on boxes with markers. Wish I had some more boxes.
Oh my gosh... The kids love these... We get them from some stores up town sometimes... Favorite summer thing too... We make tunnels outside...

Duct tape and boxes... Who needs anything else??
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SilverSabre25 10:55 AM 02-06-2014
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
Right now-
Toob of penguins.


I NEED ONE OF THESE!

I'm going to Jo-Ann's TONIGHT. I hope they have them. I LOVE PENGUINS!
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mindi1314 02:26 PM 02-06-2014
Can't believe I've never heard of or seen MAGNATILES. Thanks everyone !
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thetoddlerwhisper 08:49 AM 02-07-2014
My 2s just discovered my duplo blocks. ive seen so many "princess castles" and "pirate ships" that it isnt even funny this week
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Sugar Magnolia 10:14 AM 02-07-2014
Large cardboard boxes that the toilet paper and paper towels were delivered in!
45 minutes of pure imaginative fun.!! I
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Josiegirl 10:31 AM 02-07-2014
Mention of boxes brought back fond memories of when I bought one of those 8-in-1 playground toys. I duct-taped all the boxes together, cut doors and windows and the kids had a blast. Better than a blast really! It took up 1/3 of our playroom and it's the only thing they played with for a long long time.

Guess if I had to pick just a couple favorite toys, I'd have to say our play kitchen and all the food. Our musical instruments are pretty popular too. I have all girls from 21 months-3 1/2 yo, so when one of the 'dancer' SA girls donated a bunch of little frilly dancing tutus, they were in heaven. We plug in the music, dress up and dance a couple times a day.
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Tags:toys, toys - educational, toys - legos, toys - manipulatives
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