Conference moira::parenting

    Waffleland!  Santa brought this set to our kids when they were 2 and 4.
    The set we have has green roads and waffles for buildings.  A 3-car
    train and a car go on the roads.  Some round people go in them.
    
    What a hit!  Santa brings one "big" family toy each year and this one
    never went out of favor.  My kids are 7 and 9 and still play with it as
    designed occasionally and for other things (Barbie house props/ 
    accessories) frequently.
    
    

    
    I'm not sure about the 1-1/2 year old boy but I'm guessing that
    the 3-1/2 year old would really enjoy the Fisher Price Great
    Adventures Castle.  This is the current hit with our 5 year
    old.   It's designed with preschoolers in mind but the pieces
    and parts are limited and don't seem like they'd be dangerous
    to little ones (unlike the Lego or Playmobil castle stuff).
    Kind of like a Little People doll house for boys...
    
    cj/  

Well, we finally broke down and bought my son a Brio starter set ($$) for his
fourth birthday. Every time he has ever seen one, we have literally had to drag
him away screaming from it. He *loves* them! Right now he has some trouble
fitting the track together in a connecting pattern (he connects them in an
s-curve line), but he should get that pretty quickly. The cars are great because
1) they go onto the track without any effort to align the wheels, and 2) they
couple together with magnets, not some type of hook. Except for a small number
of tiny pieces, everything should be large enough to be safe for kids under 3.
Another thing I like is that they are *very* rugged, made from very tough
hardwood (hence the outrageous price). We had gotten a Fisher-Price (I think...)
train set for his second Christmas, and he liked it, but the plastic parts on
the cars were not very tough, and he had problems getting the wheels on the
track and the cars coupled (and still does).

One suggestion: install the track pieces in some semi-permanent fashion to a
board so they don't have problems getting them to layout right or coming apart
when they bump them. I will be doing this after Christmas, when we expand the
set. Once they get old enough to deal with those problems on their own, you can
remove the track and leave it free for them to re-arrange. When they're young,
they don't care about the layout, they just want to move the cars around on the
track.

Go to any store that has a Brio set laid out on a board and you will see kids
totally entranced by it for hours. Several can play on it at once.

I second the wooden train suggestion.  Brian (now 7) got a starter set when he 
was 2.  He and Neil (4) have been playing with it ever since.  Neil plays
with it at least 3 times a week.  Brian plays less often but makes incredible
setups when he does.  We don't have any track permanently set up since building d
ifferent configurations seems to be half the fun.  We've been adding extra 
track, bridges, tunnels, and trains over the years.  A favorite for Neil is 
the Thomas the Tank Engine accessories that have come out and are Brio 
compatible.  This stuffs expensive but we've found it to be well worth it.

						Tracy

    Brio train set & Little Tikes Peak
    
    Both purchased for my very active son 2 years ago and he still plays
    with them all of the time (he is now 4 yrs old).  He receives accessory
    pieces for holidays and birthdays.  Now, he makes all sorts of
    configurations.  You can even buy accessories for the Tikes peak.
    The best thing about Tikes peak is that he can run all sorts of small
    cars and trucks on them - he even makes Lego cars & trains and runs
    them on the set.  I think this inspires creativity and interactive play
    - his playmates love to come over and play with them.  This was the
    best toy investment I made.  Very durable.  With another boy on the
    way, I plan to get much use out of these. 

  We also have the Brio train set and love it.  My son is 5 and my daughter is
4.  My son got his first set for his 3rd birthday. 
  My kids play with it in different ways but they both enjoy it.  My son loves
to build elaborate layouts.( the higher the better.) He almost never uses the
actual trains.
   My daughter loves to connect all the cars. She is most interested in pushing
the train around the track.  We have quite a few of the accessories so she loves
playing with the people also. She takes them on and off the trains and seats
them at the station.

   Another toy that has enjoyed a long life is playdough.  They still love it.
BUt that could be more from the fact that I limit its use.(supervision required)
  And lastly - alphabet blocks.  My son received these as a baby and they still
love them.

Elizabeth

My son is 3, my daughter 1, so I have more experience with "boy" oriented
toys, but these are some of their favorites. I've categorized them by price
range.

Cheap ($1-$10):

	Hot wheels & Matchbox cars/trucks - Hours of fun
	Pick-up stix
	Balls - the bigger the better
	Mylar balloons (limited life, but fascinating)
	Wooden puzzles where the pieces have little pegs
	Matching card games (i.e. truck pictures - each is made of 3 cards...)
	Toy lawnmower (my best find for 25 cents at a garage sale!)
	Richard Scarry videos (Busy People, Silly Songs)
	Tonka trucks (my son's a construction nut...)
	Squirt guns (we limit to bathtime)
	Bubbles (always a hit!)
	Chalk/chalkboard
	Discovery Toys Give It a Whirl (a.k.a. whirly-gigs)

Moderate (<$25):

	Magna Doodle (especially small ones are great for travelling)
	Waffle blocks (unlimited possibilities!)
	Tinker toys (can require parental assistance however)
	Little Tykes Rake/Shovel/Hoe set (very durable and safe for even < 1yr)
	Playmobil figures/vehicles (excellent quality, imagination-builders -
		my son loves to disassemble/rebuild these, but that does mean
		potential small parts for little mouths...)
	Weebles Fire Engine riding toy/figures (long age-range, both love it)
	Sound-storybooks

$$$$ (>$25):

	Kids cassette player/recorder (especially sturdy ones & with microphone)
	Little Tykes Car (my daughter loves to climb in/out, sit in, honk...)
	Little Tykes kitchen/workshop, etc.
	Any kind of riding toy (especially with compartments)	

Can you tell I'm into toys?  Part of a parent's job, right? Plus, 'tis the
season... The only one that can really annoy me is the tinker toys since they
do tend to "scatter" all over, even though they come in that nice cylinder case.
Enjoy!

-Cori

For our 3yr old daughter (Samantha) we have been getting the Little Tykes play
houses with the standing/sitting figures.  We have the big house and the
grandparents house as well as a number of accessories (van, horses, slides,
etc).  She loves to play with them and our son (5yrs) plays along too.

One slightly funny episode - when we bought the big house at Toys R Us, you take
the ticket and bring it to the front desk.  You have the choice of a white or
black set, being the color of the figures.  We opted for the black set just to
get a little variety in the figures for the kids.  We were questioned twice
(once at the checkout and once when we went around back to pick it up) to make
sure that is what we wanted....

Anyway, both our kids like playing with this set as do some of the neighborhood
kids who are up to 8 years old.

Dave

    You can get the 'fake' Brio train sets, and save about 1/2.  I've seen
    them most recently at BJs wholesale, in Nashua (which has TONS of toys
    out!)
    
    -Patty

    Yup...Brio and compatables have been a Christmas staple in our house
    each of the past 3 years. We started out with a couple of basic sets,
    and have added a few things (or sets) each year. Their collection is
    getting pretty big, is used constantly, and to date, not a single piece
    (with the exception of the freight car I stepped on) has broken.
    
    Don't be afraid to start small...you can always add to it over time.
    
    re: .-1
    
    actually, you'll save closer to 75%, but be careful. The sets in places
    like BJ's, Costco's, etc, typically differ from Brios in two ways.
    
    1) They're sometimes made out of softwoods rather than hardwoods, and
    can splinter or crack more easily.
    2) They use small plastic 'dogbones' to connect the two pieces of
    track, which can pose a choking hazard for small kids, plus have a
    nasty habit of getting lost or, even worse, left scattered throughout
    the house.
    
    Three hints at saving on Brio-type trains.
        - look for places that carry the Hero line. They're made in
    	West Germany and are similar in quality to Brio, at about 60-70%
    	of the cost. Drop me a line if you find some...I used to get mine
    	at a place in Burlington Mall (Early Learning Center maybe), but
    	they're no longer there.
    
    	- The E.Holt company in Waltham ususaly runs 20%-off sales on Brio
    	(and Playschool stuff, for that matter) every weekend thru
    	Christmas. 
    
    	- When looking to buy individual pieces, it's sometimes cheaper to 
    	buy a small set, depending on the types of pieces you need...seems
    	to work well if you needs curves or straights rather than switches
    	or bridges.
    	
    	

I can make little buildings and bridges etc in my workshop (making sawdust is a
hobby of mine). So I get to have fun making them, and the kids get to have fun
playing with them, and we don't go broke on accessories. I get to pick the wood,
so I can be sure it is tough and won't crack or splinter. I've thought about
trying to make some track, but that may be where I decide it is worthwhile to
spend the money. Still, I should give it a shot, it would be challenging
machining, and I could do some special track shapes.

    I got my daughter (then 2 1/2) a birdfeeder last Christmas. It's a
    little, clear plastic house that sticks onto the kitchen window. It
    was great fun to watch the birds. I happened to find a magazine story
    in which Barney and Baby Bop feed the birds...cut that out a pasted it
    into a book for background.
    
    She loves her doctor's kit and has just graduated from the Fisher Price
    Bus and Schoolhouse (loved the basketball hoop) to a large dollhouse.
    She didn't have as much use for the Fisher Price amusement park.
    
    Small musical instrument...test them in the store and make sure you
    like the sound. Toys R Us had soem blue stuff...maybe disney...the
    flute sounded good.

    
    For my 7.5 year old daughter I have ordered "Samantha" from the 
    American girl collection. If you are not familiar with this collection
    they offer 6 dolls (I believe) which are dressed and have accessories
    which are Historically correct. Samanta is a victorian doll. These are
    not porcelain, but made to be played with. The dolls have a collection
    of books which can be purchased as well. The company sells the hard
    cover for $12.95, I picked up the 6 book set at BJ's for $19.99! These
    dolls are recommended for ages 8 and up. If anyone is intrested I have
    the catalog at home and can post the toll free #.
    
    
    Joan

    My daughters are constantly playing "Market Basket".  For those of you
    in the New England area, you know exactly what I mean.  I thought it
    would be really nice to get them one of those cash registers that have
    the "scan-thing" on it.  Does anyone know who makes them and how much
    they cost?
    
    I'm assuming Toys-R-Us would have this.
    
    Thanks,
    Gail

    
    I got my daughter a cash register with the scanner and scale.  I got it
    in the JC Penney's catalog.  I think it was $20.
    
    It certainly gets alot of use.
    
    Kirsten
    

    BRIO - questions
    
    We three were in a 'Let's Pretend' in a mall this weekend and fell
    absolutely in love with the Brio set. (Starter set there was $39.99).
    I haven't ever noticed them elsewhere. Besides E.Holt mentioned
    previously, does anyone else know where they may be carried. I suppose
    that they might be at the Learning Tree and not at Toys R Us.
    
    Is $39.99 a good price for starter set? Let's Pretend had an incredible
    diplay of train cars, etc, maybe we'd be better off just shopping there
    unless someone DOES know of a cheaper place. We live in the Northshore
    area as does most of our relatives, the future Brio givers.
    
    Any info would be appreciated.  PS - We can't wait to play, especially
    with the little draw bridge. I love the magnetic theory to connect the
    cars- howclever and practical
    
    Also, what is the top age margin on this, the sales clerk didn't really
    know?

	What Mall is 'Lets Pretend' in?  I also live on the North Shore
	and I'm going to buying the starter set for my nephew for Christmas.

	What is in the starter set?  So far I've only seen Brio at the
	'Paper Store' in Billerica (probably all the 'Paper Store's have them)
	They had a starter set that contained a 4 piece train, and some
	track for $39.99 on special, the box said Regularly $49.99

	Someone told me they saw Brio at the 'Learning Express' or maybe it
	was the 'Learning Tree' at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, but
	I haven't been there yet to check it out.

	Thanks for any info.,
	Karen T.

    re: starter set price
    
    $39.99 is the standard 'special' price for the figure-8 starter set...
    in fact, it may even be printed on the box. You won't find much (if any)
    difference in price from store to store, unless they're having a sale.
    In fact, the pre-discount prices at E.Holt are the same as the list
    prices at the other stores.
    
    If you can find a place that carries Hero (and please let me know of
    you do...), a similar starter set (Oval vs. figure-8) lists for approx
    $25.
    
    re: Age range
    
    In our house, the trains are appropriate from ages 2-38! :^) 
    
    Hope this info is useful...

    I've seen Let's Pretend in the Liberty Tree Mall - Danvers and also at
    the Arsenal Mall- Watertown (if I remember correctly). They have a
    great selection of imported educational and developmental toys. I enjoy
    the pretend accessories such as hats, caps, shield and swords, chaps.
    For girls I saw a magic wand, a princesses cap with the long veil, a
    boa, and some cute items.
    Got great puppets,puzzles,horse figurines, ranch layouts, trains,
    cookware, tea sets, play dinnerware, Madame Alexander dolls, Teddy
    Bears of all kind and Price range. 
    
    These are tiny stores, and can be crowded on the weekends, so I
    recommend bringing someone along to stay outside if you have a stroller
    aged child.
    
    

    FYI - Smart Toys located in the Hood Commons shopping center in
    Derry, NH is having a 20% off sale on Brio and Playmobil.  It
    started Friday and runs through Sunday, November 20th.  They had
    a reasonable selection when I was there Sunday.
    
    Their phone number is 437-8697.
    
    Ruth

The Toy Shop in Concord, Mass also carries Brio.  They occasionally have sales
on it, but I think they just had one in October.

Beryl

    I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT IS 6 MONTHS OLD. WHAT DO I GIVE HER FOR
    CHRISTMAS? SHE CAN ALREADY CRAWL.
    
    THANKS
    PATTY
    

    re: 840.23    Cross-reference note 491
    
    Carol Stolicny, PARENTING co-mod

    Few ideas for 6 month old:
    
    VTECH Press n' Play Block. It's a square block with different things on
    	each side that if you push it talks to you.  One side has numbers/
        shapes, one side has a dial thing, etc.  My son has loved this from
        about 6 months and still plays with it at now 9 months.  (on sale
    	this week at Caldors btw)
    
    Fisher Price See and Say, plastic farm thing that has different activities
    	to push, rotate, etc.  
    
    Any of the Activity Tables seem to amuse them, might help with the standing
    	up and balancing too.
                                                                      

    I need (*NEED*!  He screeches whenever he sees one and we don't bring
    it home (-:), to get a 'bike' type thing for my 14 mos old son.  He has
    the world's shortest legs, and can't seem to reach the ground for the
    more common "ride on" toys.  I did find a cheap motorcycle-looking
    trike at k-mart, but after only about 2 mins on the thing, he tipped it
    over.  So, I guess I need something STURDY (he weighs 25+ lbs), and
    while it would be nice if it looked like a motorcycle (his favorite),
    anything would do.
    
    Last night at Wal-mart I saw a Little Tykes Push N Ride or something
    like that.  It's yellow w/ blue wheels, has a low seat, and a handle as
    the seatback, that's high enough for a kid to hold onto and push
    (brings to mind an image of a lawnmower).  Does anyone have one of
    these?  Can you give me a rough idea of how high the seat is?  It
    looked like the seat was fairly wide, but I'm hoping he'll still fit on
    it.  If he could talk, he'd definitely be telling me he BETTER get a
    "bike" for x-mas!
    
    Do you have any other ideas for a *SHORT* stable riding-thing??
    
    

We have the Little Tikes Push N Ride (or whatever) bike, and my daughter
uses it quite often.  We got it when she was about 10mo. old and not yet
walking, and I think she could push with her feet at that age, but she 
preferred to walk around pushing it.  She continues to use it at 26mo. old.
I think her legs are pretty stubby, this last summer she couldn't reach
the ground on the LT tractor, and when she could ride the Push N Ride two
summers ago she could not touch on the Cozy Coupe.

I will try to remember to measure it when I go home tonight.  We bought
it at Service Merchandise (in Manchester?) where they had it as a display 
item, so if you could find it on display somewhere you can try it out before 
buying it.

Another thing we have which you might consider is a big wheel type toy
where they side almost on the ground.  We have a red one with Mickey Mouse,
but got it at a yard sale so I don't know if it is still current, but
I've seen similar ones in stores.  This is much smaller than the regular big
wheels, about half the size.  They are supposed to go by using the petals on 
the front wheel, but Erin still rides this by pushing with her feet.  She
could reach the petals this summer but couldn't last year.  Since this is a
three wheel toy, it is very stable, and since they sit almost on the ground 
there isn't far to fall anyway.  Erin did tip the Push N Ride once outside, 
but she was going pretty fast.

The Push N Ride toy is 7" to the top of the seat, and the width of the
seat is 8.5".

Jackie

    Jackie,
    
    THANKS a lot!!  Now I have to go measure those chunky little legs! (-:
    
    Sounds like he should be able to fit though ... and at the Dr's office
    this morning there was a walk-n-push type toy, and he was just about
    running all over the place with it - he thought he was pretty big
    stuff!  Now if he'd just stop giggling when he walks, he'd be able to
    hold his balance better (-:
    
    

    As a kid I spent hours with an erector set.  They are still around but
    I have discovered something even better, K'nex.  The sets come in
    different part quantities and have excellent instructions for building
    some impressive objects.  No tools are required, everything snaps
    together.  Ages 8-adult.  
    
    My 4 year old and I spend lots of time together building K'nex creations.
    Fortunately, the instruction book illustrates easy (10 minutes to
    build) to more complex (60+ minutes) ideas.  My son also likes to build
    roads for his matchbox/hot wheel cars and whatever else jumps into his
    mind.

    I am not sure if this is the appropriate note but I need some help in
    finding good toys for my son who is 1 1/2 years old.            
    
    We recently cleaned out his "baby" toys and I could not believe my eyes;
    I could see the bottom of his toy chest clearly!  I felt awful! 
    
    We have the toy rakes and shovels because he spend most of his time
    with us outdoors on the weekends and is at the sitters during the day. 
    However, I would like to buy some indoor things.  
    
    Any ideas?  Thanks a million,
    
    cj
    

    Stacking cups, the thingie with the pegs the kids beat on to push them
    one way and then the next, (an atlehi favorite), anything they can pull
    around.  old pots and pans in a cabinet in the kitchen also have worked
    well.
    
    meg

    
    Believe it or not, Jonathan's favorite toys (19mos) right now are;
    
    o his bike/car thing (you can push it or ride it)
    o A shopping cart (but PA-LEASE don't put anything in it!)
    o Books.  Books, books, books.  Especially this ONE book.  I'm so sick
    of it, I actually hid it for a day.  He just came at me with others. 
    If I have to read that stupid Barney book one more time I'll puke.  
    
    The one that he loves is called "What can you find..." and it's a flip
    up book.  What can you find  .... in a mailbox - and you pull the flap
    down and there's letters.  What can you find .... in this jar (cookies)
    on and on it goes ....
    
    What can you find .... in Mommy's head .... AIR! (-:
    
    But he loves it, so why should I care.  Oh, and BALLS!!!!  Any size,
    just so they bounce!

    
    Patty, Lauren (17 months) likes the EXACT same things!  
    
    She has a dump truck walker (similar to a shopping cart) but she 
    likes things in it.
    
    Books and she has her favorites, like yours.
    
    Stuffed Animals, any and all.  
    
    Balls, especially my husbands basket ball.  Last night she put it 
    in a basket that normally contains several stuffed animals, then
    started walking around the house with it.  I wish I had the video 
    camera ready!
    
    And us... we are her favorite toys.
    
    She has alot of other toys but none hold her attention for long.
    
    Karen
    

I'm looking for different toy ideas.   We have a number of 2 to 3 year olds to 
buy for this year.   I really want to stay away from the standard Little 
Tykes, Fisher Price, etc., and get something different.    I've looked through 
Discovery Toys.    

What I'd like to find is a store that has a good "imported toys" section.   I 
think there was some discussion in this file last year about some very good 
German toys/board games, but I can't find it.     I know it will probably be 
expensive, but in two cases I can combine Christmas and birthday.   

The toy store in Concord used to have these things, but now they are different 
and only have the standard Playmobil, Brio, and Leggos.   

Any idea in general eastern MA, southern NH ?   We live in Acton but I 
wouldn't mind driving to wrap this up.    

Thanks, 

re: 840.35

... or at least they did as of a year ago.

I don't remember the exact address, but it's on Harvard Street in
Brookline Village, three blocks up from Rt. 9.  I believe they're open
late on Thursdays.  If you need better directions, e-mail me.

(also on that same street: the excellent The Children's Book Shop)

Bobbi, "the aunt who gives books when she has the chance"

    
    re: .35   Recently, TJMaxx has been carrying a fairly decent selection
    of imported (and domestic, too!) toys - and at great prices - Battat,
    Tomy, Knex, Ravensburger puzzles and games, etc!   It can be hit-or-miss 
    there but the selection was overall pretty decent for infants all the way 
    through grade-schoolers.  
    
    I bought my niece a clear plastic picnic basket-type bucket filled with 
    plastic tableware in primary colors - I really liked the idea of the basket 
    to keep the stuff organized and the nice bright colors.   I think it
    was about $6-7.   Also, got her a bucket of large beads and string for
    around the same price made by Battat.  
    
    Since my son has started kindergarten, he's been invited to 1-2
    birthday parties a month (yikes!).   I picked up a whole bunch of things 
    tou se as gifts for these parties - where we don't really know the 
    children, what they have, and what is acceptable in their households.
    Things like wooden dinosaur models, kaleidoscope building kits, 
    Ravensburger puzzles, quality books, etc.  
    
    Good luck with your shopping!
    
    cj/          

    
    Learning Express is a chain (franchised maybe) that carry interesting
    toys. There is one in Andover, one in The Mall at the Rockingham Park
    that I know of. The Museum Store in the Burlington Mall, the Nature
    Store (in a lot of malls) have interesting toys too.
    
    
    Eva

There is a Learning Express in Acton as well.

    Fantasy Island Toys is a catalog that has the kind of toys you are
    describing.   The number is  (800) 841-6226.
    
    Jane

    I didn't want to start a new note for this....is there anything that
    can be done to stuffed animals so that they don't shed.  I saw a
    beautiful stuffed animal and as I brought it to the cash register to
    pay for it, I noticed that it had shed all over my jacket.
    I didn't buy it because I thought it would leave "fur" all over the
    house.
    
    The salesclerk said that she heard that if you put a stuffed animal in
    the freezer overnight, it will no longer shed.  Does anyone have a
    remedy for toys that shed their fur?
    
    Thanks,
    Nancy

    Freezing stuffed animals, is to kill dust mites, as many asthmatic's
    have a serious reaction to them.  It wont stop shedding.  However a
    good Vaccuming often helps.
    
    meg

    Watch the tags on Gund carefully.  Most aren't machine washable.  But,
    we've got three that ARE.  They wash great.  Two I found in stores, and
    the third I ordered from some allergy products company.

Any opinions on kids' cassette recorders with microphones?  I'm looking
for one that's sturdy and loud.  Dina's hearing impaired, and the people
in her nursery program recommend a cassette recorder/PA that will easily
let her feel the vibrations of the speaker.

Fisher Price has definitely one of the better children's cassette players
around...  Other brands tend to have a poor cassette drive which works
sometimes and not others, wow and flutter with the slightest bit of poor
spooling on the tape etc.

The ONLY problem we had with FP was a button breaking ...

One problem you might have is that the original models had a limited volume
range (which for us was a BLESSING!)

Stuart

Ditto on the Fisher Price - we bought one for Christmas of
1994 and it's holding up fine.  It's loud enough that I 
don't enjoy being in the same room with Noelle when she
has it cranked.

- Deb B.

    re:  Gerald
    
    Go to Radio Shack and get Dina a Sony kids recorder.  Having a hearing
    impaired 5 yr old myself, I can assure you she will appreciate the
    sound quality over the Fisher Price model.
    
    Beth

We got my son a Fisher Price recorder with dual microphones (one for little
sister, too!). The tape sound quality is fine, but the PA is not very good. It's
fine for the kids to play with (cracks us up to hear them both on it at the
same, not paying any attention at all to what the other is saying), but if you
want the PA to help a hearing-impaired child hear herself, it's probably not
adequate. Sounds very gravelly.

How does Playmobile little people sets rate with children?

I know it has some pretty small pieces so my three year old is too young 
still. It looks really appealing, the colors and the details.  It's kind of 
expensive too, but I was thinking I could collect some for her over the next 
year and keep it until she's ready for the smaller pieces.

My only concern is that when she's old enough for the smaller pieces the 
whimsicle designs might seem babyish to her - not sure what age they are 
appropriate for.  I love the victorian dollhouse and the colors are more 
realistic than perhaps the Fisher Price or Little Tikes (sp?) - which the 
one's I've seen uses mostly pastels and alot of pink.  It's not that I don't 
like pink, she likes pink, I just thought the level of detail and price would 
be somewhere midway between Fisher Price and a classic wooden doll house with 
accessories.  The size of the Fisher Price and Little Tikes is bigger than 
Playmobile, don't know what children prefer. I do like that the Playmobile 
dollhouse is in scale with their other play sets such as the farm and 
hospital sets - just to name a few.

Any feedback appreciated.

Marianne

    
    
     My daughter got the playmobile dollhouse for Christmas when she was
    4.  At the time I thought we had made a big mistake as she did not use
    it much.  But now that she is 5 she really likes it.  It is also very
    popular when friends visit.  When I bought the dollhouse the salesman
    swore that his 8 year old still loved it.  I guess time will tell.
    
    Elizabeth

    My son has had Playmobil toys since he was 3. I love them, for their
    quality and durability. What we do is put each toy set of a them in a
    covered box so all the parts stay together. 
    

    We started buying Playmobil almost 10 yrs ago for Jessica,,,she's now
    17 and *still* enjoys creating scenes with the now-rather-large
    assortment of Playmobils she and her younger sister share!
     What's more,,other than some of the very small accessories,,virtually
    all of the Playmobil stuff is still around.
    
     (I've been known to 'borrow' several figures for photos of my garden
    railroad now and then :-)
    
    Doug
    

    	Keep in mind that Playmobile has different level toys.  My son has
    some of the "1-2-3" toys.  As you can probably guess, they are for kids
    how are ages 1 through three.
    	I love them, since my four-year-old can play with them, and when my
    one-year-old puts them in her mouth, they won't go down her throat! 
    I'm sure that won't still be the case, if he ever gets any of the
    "regular" Playmobile stuff.
    
    	Peggy

    Last night I saw a cottage by STEP 2.  It was boxed, so I couldn't
    get a look at it's actual materials.   But it looking comparable
    in size to the Little Tykes cottage.  But it had two full length
    doors, to simulate a type of "garage door" affect to allow "drive-in"
    of toys.  It also had a half door, shutters, outdoor carriage light
    (non-working of course), fold down table, and phone.  It was really
    neat.
    
    Has anyone any opinion of the STEP 2 toys?  I saw it at Rich's for
    $169.00.   Now I've been holding out waiting to get the TYKES Country
    Cottage in the CLASSIFIED, but keep missing out on them.  This STEP 2
    has the primary colors, but I like it's looks.   
    
    Anyone have any input?
    
    						cj *->

    I really think the Step 2 products are top notch.  My daughter has
    their 2 seater wagon and loves it.  My parents bought their mailbox a
    few years back and they only rave about it.  Now everyone is buying the
    Step 2 mailboxes...I've seen them in green and black.  They appear to
    be made of the same type of material as their children's toys and are
    very durable.
    
    My girlfriend bought the Step 2 slide for her daycare and it is made of
    a heavier more durable plastic than the Fisher Price model we
    purchased.  We will soon be purchasing a little car for my daughter and
    after looking at all the various models, have decided on a Step 2
    model.  It is a bit heavier, but appears to be made better than the
    Little Tykes models we saw.
    
    Step 2 puts out a catalog of all their products.  They make a lot of
    children's products that I have not seen in any stores, and also
    various home and garden products that I do see now in the stores.
    
    Kristen
    

    Thanks, Kristen.  I'm sold!   I had been hoping to pick something
    up "used", but I really liked the looks of this one.
    
    						cj