Whats the current 'in' thing?

[Vyx]

Hi Folks :)

I'm on a bit of an info gathering mission. What is the current 'in' thing with the kids? Pepper Pig? Ben 10? (I only know these names from 'window' shopping in the Argos catalogue LOL)

I don't have kids of my own and want to familarise myself with what they are watching/playing with.

I would be very grateful for your input on what your kids or mindees are into, if you could include ages too that would be fab.

Thanking you in advance of any responses.

Toodles

Vyx

[Pipsqueak]

TBH I can only Peppa and Ben 10 - thats all my lot seem to be into.

[sarah707]

Have a browse here :D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/

[Mouse]

The 16mth old I look after likes In The Night Garden

The 2.5yr old likes Dora The Explorer and Peppa Pig

The 3.5yr old doesn't have any particular likes

The 5yr old likes Horrid Henry

My own children are older now, so I'm not very clued in to current trends.

[SparklingGems]

My nephew likes roary racing car he is 3
My niece likes fifi and peppa pig she is 4

My friends son is 6n he likes ben 10

I dont have any mindees yet so cannot offer any advise from that perspective

[jelly15]

Timmy time is very popular in my setting, we have it on when I am prepairing lunch.

[MarpleJollytots]

Them blummin Tweeting birds on 'In the night garden' that sit there squarking for a good 15 mins in that flippin tree should be knocked of their branches and banished forever. Is it just me ????? THEY DRIVE ME MAD.

[carlen222]

my son loved in the night garden around the 1 year age, the mindees i have just now are all between 12 + 18 months, one likes chuggington, one likes fifi and the flowertots but loves the singing kettle!!! and the other 2 arent really into anything, my son has loved peppa pig for as long as i can remember (hes now 3) he also loves spongebob square pants. my daugher is 6 she love love loves hannah montana!!!! the boys in her class seem to be into ben 10 xx

[Heaven Scent]

I very very rarely have TV on and when I do it tends to be things that involve singing and dancing etc so I don't have a clue what they are into really - I know one loves Peppa Pig because she has clothes etc with her on and the other is totally obsessed with all things related to fire and fire fighting so loves Fireman Sam but I think his obsession is unhealthy so I don't go there - he is a real worrier and if you take him into a shop he searches out the fire sprinklers, alarms and extinguishers and then goes into a total panic and doens't stop talking about them in a paniced way so I now avoid the subject - I'm dreading the day he clocks the fireblanket hanging up next to my cooker :panic: My house is totally littered with smoke detectors following a visit from the fire brigade and i also have burgular alarm sensors in every room and every now and again he goes on and on about them until he makes himself physically sick with worry. I even hid all my fire engines, ambulances etc for a couple of months and have recently gradually re-introduced them and his obsession with these now seems to have lessened.

[singingcactus]

Schoolie boys like football, beyblade, bionicles, even pokemon is making a comeback! Wikisticks or bendaroos are popular,hama beads go down well, and other art based activities for both girls and boys.

I have found that the most recent schoolies don't get on too well with marble runs and anything that requires any type of engineering based thinking. I have high hopes for my new schoolies.

Jenga, and bebop, uno and other board games go down well too.

The littlies just seem to want whatever my youngest has :rolleyes: , but they like the usual tv based toys, as well as stacking cups, and pound a ball type toys. And cars, whatever age or gender.

Computers and game consoles too, whatever age or ability.

[crazyhazy]

I'm basing this on my own los, both girls who are 17m and 3yrs. The younger one isn;t really into anything character wise, she won't stop and watch tv even for a few mins. The 3yr old likes anything pink, princess, fairy etc, as well as timmy time, waybaloo, peppa pig and I can cook.

Toy wise the younger one is loving the fisher price piggy money bank just now, while both girls love their dolls etc and toy kitchen, plus anything which means they get outside.

[caz3007]

My small ones like Wayballoo, Thomas the tank engine and In the Night Garden.

Timeless bits that are being played with at the moment are the dolls pushchair, a huge plastic Tea Set, a small Thomas Train track, Duplo bricks and the farm. These are all really popular

[sillysausage]

I've always avoided toys based around tv programmes. They are often expensive and to have good play value with a group of children you have to buy quite a few eg all the power-rangers at approx £7 each.
For the same money you can buy a range of play equipment that has far more play value and will still be of interest to children in a few years time.
If you are looking to buy a selection of toys for mindees to play with I would start with-
selection of cars and a garage
toy pushchair and dolls
teaset and play food
toy till
toy telephones
wooden train set (there are cheaper versions of brio available that are compatible)
lego duplo
craft materials (it is surprising just how many parents will not allow children to paint at home!)
a play tent of some form

And don't forget you don't have to get things new. Car boot sales, ebay and charity shops are brilliant, you just need to make sure items are clean and not damaged.

[Heaven Scent]

I've always avoided toys based around tv programmes. They are often expensive and to have good play value with a group of children you have to buy quite a few eg all the power-rangers at approx £7 each.
For the same money you can buy a range of play equipment that has far more play value and will still be of interest to children in a few years time.
If you are looking to buy a selection of toys for mindees to play with I would start with-
selection of cars and a garage
toy pushchair and dolls
teaset and play food
toy till
toy telephones
wooden train set (there are cheaper versions of brio available that are compatible)
lego duplo
craft materials (it is surprising just how many parents will not allow children to paint at home!)
a play tent of some form

And don't forget you don't have to get things new. Car boot sales, ebay and charity shops are brilliant, you just need to make sure items are clean and not damaged.

Add things to this like a globe or atlas & some dressing up stuff - if you haven't got any try to get stuff like animals/minibeasts and perhaps doctor/fire man etc - avoid disney characters - they date - as said above go for all the timeless stuff that won't date in a year or so and can be added to - try to get some ethnic bits and bobs too - don't spend a fortune. Remember that they will have all the "in stuff" at home and you will be offering them an alternative and they won't be bored with the toys that parents etc have bought them for use at home - variety is the spice of life.

Good luck - you'll come across loads of ideas to spend all your hard earned money on on here !!!!!!

[Dare4Distance]

My nephew is 3 and he is obsessed with Ben 10, Spiderman, Toy Story and Harry Potter :)

[Vyx]

What can I say? Yet again you have all come to my rescue :)

Sarah. I have had a look on cbeebies, how very helpful that they have the synopsis for each show! Thanks for the link, I will be spending more time on there *grin*

Thanks for all the toy suggestions, I'm actually pleasantly suprprised that alot of it I have recently got as part of my 'basic' toy stash, so really glad to know that I am on the right track :) but always room for more *grin*

Thank you for sharing what your kids/mindees and nephews are into. I can't tell you how helpful your input is.

Please continue to add any suggestions or comments, I am making notes!


Many many thanks


Vyx

[Hebs]

I've always avoided toys based around tv programmes. They are often expensive and to have good play value with a group of children you have to buy quite a few eg all the power-rangers at approx £7 each.
For the same money you can buy a range of play equipment that has far more play value and will still be of interest to children in a few years time.
If you are looking to buy a selection of toys for mindees to play with I would start with-
selection of cars and a garage
toy pushchair and dolls
teaset and play food
toy till
toy telephones
wooden train set (there are cheaper versions of brio available that are compatible)
lego duplo
craft materials (it is surprising just how many parents will not allow children to paint at home!)
a play tent of some form

And don't forget you don't have to get things new. Car boot sales, ebay and charity shops are brilliant, you just need to make sure items are clean and not damaged.

i agree :thumbsup:

my mindees (of all ages from 17 months to 11 years old) LOVE the ball pool :D best £17 i spent :clapping: the never get bored of it EVER, and every friday night i fill the bath with a tiny ammount of bleach, throw the balls in swill them around and drain it away and leave to dry (nice a clean lol)

If they arnt in the bal pool they play with the garage regardless of whatever other toys are out :rolleyes:

[avril]

Lots and lots and lots of cars of all kinds!!! Oh and a car mat to go with them, I've got a large carpet type mat the children love it.

Garage

Train set

Play kitchen and food.

Lego/duplo

Dressing up

Balls, big, small, textured, with a bell inside etc...

Arts and crafts, playdough

Dolls/action figures

Lots of good toys can be picked up in B and M Bargains or Home and Bargain at really reasonable prices.

[Chell]

Adding on to the list of toys, my children will spend hours playing with a card board box! First they use is as a house, boat, whatever then flatten it and draw maps, roads, etc. They'll play with a box for days until I get fed up with it being in my dining room.

Years ago my Dad gave DS a piece of guttering, it gets used as a ramp for cars in the garden. It has been used far more than the expensive Fisher Price garage!

[Kimmy050983]

To add to the great suggestions:

my LO (16 months) LOVES his wooden bead frame cube :

http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Babies-R-Us/Toys/Learning-Toys/Wooden-MultiActivity-Cube%280029686%29

and other children of various ages love this one too.

he also loves his ELC wooden shape sorter (good price - 10 pound and is SOLID) , wooden hammer bench, wooden postbox (all elc) .

also you can never have too many books..


he has loads of plastic stuff too but he has always preferred wooden toys for some reason :rolleyes: