Toy for Tots Help

[clifffaith]

Last year when we went to Target to buy things for the Marine toy barrels in our front lobby, I went into sensory overload in the toy aisle. Too many bright colors! Too many things I’ve never seen or heard of before! Too expensive! I think we ended up with some Barbie (I know Barbie!) and Paw Patrol (what the heck is that?!) items. Our budget is about $50 and I just put four Spirographs (loved those as a kid) in my Amazon cart. With never having had kids, grandkids, nibblings (word from my anthropology classes) we are out of touch. Would kids today enjoy drawing with a Spirograph? If not, what’s a better choice?

 

[susieq]

I'm not sure if kids today have the patience for spirograph ~ they seem to want instant gratification. I loved Spirograph ~ but then, we're a different generation. I just bought some toys for my great grandkids ~ Boy - 8, & Girl - 5. 3 Legos & 3 Barbie outfits - total about $50.

BTW ~ checked with DG first to make sure what they were into.............

 

[DeniseM]

Legos are a great toy that lasts for generations, and teach kids a variety of skills.

 

[clifffaith]

Cliff started reminiscing about Lincoln logs, and how his mom got him a set and he was happy until he saw a friend received a much bigger set from Santa! Turns out that it’s the 100th Anniversary of Lincoln Logs. Without really knowing, I’d figure SoCal kids getting toys at a toy drive couldn’t relate to Lincoln Logs. Do kids today even have the equivalent of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone and the TV shows that we watched set in the old west? Or is it all Star Wars and Transformers?

 

[Cornell]

I love the Spirograph choice. There are lots of kids who love arts & crafts. And plenty of parents who do their best to keep kids off of electronic devices.

I think you’ll make some kids happy

 

[Cornell]

Legos are a great toy that lasts for generations, and teach kids a variety of skills.

My daughter is 21. She never used Legos as a child but recently has gotten into them. And puzzles. She’s found them to be a great stress release.

 

[DeniseM]

Actually, Star Wars and Transformers are a bit old school now - Star Wars came out in 1977 - 47 years ago. However, the Star Wars Universe is still coming out with very popular spin-offs, so it's become a classic.

 

[Janann]

I worked one day at a toy drive many years ago to sort toys for each organization that would receive them, and also according to the number of children that the agency had within each age bracket.

There was a shortage of toys for babies, up to about age 2. Since that experience, I've always bought baby toys to give to the toy drives.

 

[clifffaith]

I worked one day at a toy drive many years ago to sort toys for each organization that would receive them, and also according to the number of children that the agency had within each age bracket.

There was a shortage of toys for babies, up to about age 2. Since that experience, I've always bought baby toys to give to the toy drives.

That’s a great suggestion. Took 1 Spirograph out of my cart and added 2 Fisher Price toys. Keep the ideas coming!

 

[Cornell]

I worked one day at a toy drive many years ago to sort toys for each organization that would receive them, and also according to the number of children that the agency had within each age bracket.

There was a shortage of toys for babies, up to about age 2. Since that experience, I've always bought baby toys to give to the toy drives.

Where I live the local high school has a holiday drive for teens. Toiletries, sweatpants, slippers, etc.

That’s my go-to. Always feel like teens get overlooked at the holidays.

 

[stmartinfan]

My granddaughters, ages 2 and 5, enjoy plush toys and other items from the Bluey cartoon show. It's a sweet Australian show about a family of blue heeler dogs. The two ”stars” are Bluey and Bingo, both girls, and their parents, so the show may appeal more to girls. The style and humor feel more like a PBS show than the typical cartoon.

 

[oceanlane96]

I work in elementary school as a teacher - some inexpensive popular toys include "pop-its" in various shapes (they're like a sensory toy), stuffed animals, craft kits (necklace making, bracelet making, etc.), and stickers (they love stickers). Bluey, Wild Kratts, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and Puppy Dog Pals are all popular shows/branded toys.

Also picture books - I know it might seem boring to get a book - but there are a lot more kids today than in the past who don't ever get actual physical books and they make a world of difference when it comes to their literacy skills (even if they can't read)!

 

[clifffaith]

Argh! The Spirographs, by the process of elimination, put my cart to a December 22 delivery date. Pulled those out and added some Melissa & Doug sets (like reusable puffy Colorforms with farm and pet store themes) and three Fisher Price toys. Oh and now they want new kid’s coats for the coat drive. This is on top of the $25 for toys and pjs for the Camp Pendleton kid’s party. Well this is SoCal so I bought two hooded jackets instead. Then I hit the buy button to put it to rest and stop agonizing!

 

[rickandcindy23]

You cannot go wrong with Hot Wheels for boys. Ages 3-10.

Toys for Tots is outside of Sam's Club a lot, and we usually buy several $20 toys to put in the bin, but I agree that teens are overlooked.