Why do I even bother with buying baby toys?

Question

His favorites are as follows: an old keyboard from a computer, an empty Cheez-It box, six empty yogurt containers (washed, of course), his carseat, a large green plastic cup, a piece of string with large wooden beads on it, a wooden spoon, and an empty box of wipes.

This stuff keeps him entertained for HOURS. But, put him under the $70 entertainment center that Grandma bought, and he's bored within minutes. Give him the $10 scrunchy blanket/teething thingie, and he throws it and goes for the yogurt containers.

Well, Christmas and his birthday should be a breeze, now that I know he likes trash so much.

So, what's your baby's favorite non-baby item, and least-favorite baby item?

Answer 1

I know EXACTLY what you mean! I have bought my Daughter toys after toys...And Finally I just stopped because she gets more pleasure of plastic sippy cups, plastic bowls, tv remote, and spoons!

But, I have actually heard that household items are just as good as toys because its really something that people use everyday and it gets them used to these things.

So, I guess you and I both will have easy birthdays, and Christmases...That is until they get about 5 and they start wanting everything,,,LOL

CONGRATS on being a MOM!

Answer 2

Favorite items:  Large plastic container (it used to hold cookie dough, the refrigerated kind), and a plastic colander.  He loves to put things inside of them, take the out, put inside, take out... on and on.  He also loves to turn them upside down and bang on them like drums. :)

Least favorite... that's a tough one.  The only thing he really doesn't like is a hand me down stacker.  It lights up and plays music/sound when you put the "rings" on or off (they're shaped like stars).  It scares him for some reason.  It's a hand me down, as are most of his toys, so at least I don't have to think about the $$ being wasted.

Answer 3

How old is your baby?  I'm and early childhood education student and work at a daycare (don't have a baby yet, but I see them enough).  I'm just gonna let you know that in someways this can be better for him cause he has to use his imagination a bit more to enjoy those things (even if it may not look like it) and can actually stimulate brain development better.  Some non-baby items that I've seen babies like a lot are baskets and large cardboard boxes, and a least favorite would be videos meant for children under age 2 or 3, they get really bored of tv

Answer 4

lol, I know the feeling!  My daughter's fav toys are: empty plastic water bottles, empty plastic butter tubs (washed of course), pieces of paper, tissue paper, paper towel cardboard center tube thingies, dog food, a wash cloth, any of mommy's clothes with spaghetti straps - she puts them on (tank tops, dresses, etc.) and walks around the house with them.  

It's crazy that she has a ton of toys but also would rather play with trash or regular household items - but hey, at least we know that our babies have an imagination, right?  Since they prefer the plain things over expensive toys with lights and sounds.  :)

Answer 5

Fave: cellphones, any remotes, wipe containers, plastic cups/spoons/etc, empty cartons, pillows/cushions, anything cold, water, and yes, my computer keyboard...

and thank God he can spend 10 minutes with that expensive Baby Einstein thingie that his gramma bought him.

Least fave: hmm, got to be those dozens of stuffed animals that people gave us for baby shower, christmas, etc.

Answer 6

my six month old fav is a wipe container. But he does like his jump a roo thing and his exersaucer  thing too.

Answer 7

Well the thing that keeps my baby entertained so much is her big brother. He's always around to make her laugh. But he costs a h**l of a lot more than any toy. Lol.

Answer 8

He likes tearing up newspaper and playing with plastic spoons, although he has millions of toys!

Answer 9

LOL to funny I just said the other I was going to get my 8 month old grandbaby a remote control, puter keyboard,comb and she loves the empty tube from the paper towel. !

Answer 10

old cell phone, old tv remote, empty boxes, bowls, cups, magazines and newspaper to tear up...who would have thought I'd find a good use for junk mail?! Ian's entertained carrying ads and junk mail envelopes around the house for hours!! Take them away and he throws a fit..take away the expensive toys-he couldn't care less!!! He's also got a fascination with flip flops so we have to be sure to put alllll shoes up immediately!

Answer 11

My favorite toy was a car I used to ride on and my least favorite toy was anything that was my sisters EWW She had icky blocks

Answer 12

The baby I nanny for could never stand her bouncy seat, her exersaucer, rattles, or any toy that's hers. She loves spoons, plastic Easter eggs, cups, pots and pans, and water. She could splash in a puddle for hours!

Now that she just turned one, she still won't play with "her" toys. She only wants her brother's Duplos and her sister's doll stroller.  

Answer 13

I can relate! My son was the same at that age! He loved playing with my glasses (he broke one pair and flush down the toilet the other). He flushed his mega blocks and farm toys. So I would say the toilet. At one point, I caught him drinking the water from the toilet. Here I am cleaning his toys, so he doesn't catch germs, and he is drinking from the toilet!

Answer 14

Haha this is so true!!  My girls favorite non baby item would have to be paper!  They love to wrinkle it up and just make noise!  They can play with a piece of paper for hours and not get tired of it!  And their least favorite toy would have to be...  well really they like to play with anything they can get their hands on.  So i dont think they dislike any of their toys!

Answer 15

In answer to your first question, you buy because of clever marketing.  ;-)

In answer to your second, my DD is 25mos, and her favorite non-baby item is my cloth shopping bags and whatever canned goods are around.  She gets the bags, puts on a hat, gets my keys, says "bye-bye.  Go chopping" and walks to the door.  Then she goes into the kitchen, loads the bags, walks back to the door, dramatically drops the bags, yells, "Home!", and drags the bags back into the kitchen to be unpacked.

Repeat 18 times in a row.

Least-favorite baby item...geez.  She's an only grandchild on both sides, so, she's gotten tons of stuff that I donated after she just didn't play with it at all...But, yeah, quite a few that were expected to be hits fell short of expectations.

ETA:  Another fave is the vacuum cleaner.  She pulls it out, unwinds the cord, I plug the cord in, she turns it on, and then runs to get her doll stroller, and she "helps" vacuum using the stroller.  Then we unplug, she winds the cord back up, and pulls it back to the closet.  Then puts her doll stroller in, as well.  God forbid I forget to loudly announce that I'm going to vacuum and pull the vacuum out on my own or - even worse - TURN IT ON without her assistance.

Answer 16

I've often said to people that the best first birthday present you can buy for a baby is a large empty cardboard box :)

Answer 17

Ha! That's funny. I haven't had to deal with this yet...but my little guy is growing fast, will be 6 months at Christmas time, so it should be interesting.

Edit: Wait...he LOVES his swing.

Answer 18

my son loves the tv remote, coasters, laundry hampers and anything that belongs to the dog... he loves to get ahold of the dog bone and tease the dog with it. its funny until he tries to eat it himself...

his least favorite thing would have to be... i dont think he doesnt like any of his toys but he sure doesnt play with them as long as he could play with those things!

Answer 19

My son figured out how to open the cupboards this week, and now I have Tupperware all over my kitchen floor. Empty boxes are a hit here too, the phone or TV remote as well. I joke for his first and second birthday, s***w the toys, I'm getting a refrigerator or dryer box. He doesn't really have a non-favorite.

Answer 20

Pots and Pans!!!!!!

Answer 21

A big box I brought home from work, my step I work out with and an empty soda bottle. Oh and an old remote control for a VCR.

Answer 22

well perhaps he will be a trash man!

Ari loves shoes

Answer 23

My daughter enjoys crawling over to where i store her diapers and wipes and throws them all over the place..you put toys infront of her and she just crawls to the diapers..or any empty bottles. We are in the process of moving also and I see that she loves boxes..should just wrap her a bunch of boxes for christmas/her 1st birthday..