Recommended Toys

[SAHM_TAN]

tamarind:

SAHM_TAN,

Thanks for the information. I am quite keen, will buy a set of LaQ if I have time to visit the Growing Fun shop. I will post my review here.

Like you, I buy toys because I want to play with them I never have such toys when I was a child, so I tell myself that I am indulging myself with these toys now However, after I bought the toys, I just leave them around, no time to play at all. My kids have to figure out how to play on their own by looking at the instructions.

My hubby also bought a stethoscope for the kids

Now even more motivation to buy the stethoscope :lol:

When I buy toys I must hide them first, so that can study how to play. DS will bug me to help him, even when I'm cooking. DD is ok, she's older so she will do her own thing with the toys. Recently bought a Lego Duplo zoo set because DD is older, and DS just about right to play too. But still need to guide him a bit. The animals are so nice.

[happymom_aa]

Hi mommies,


Personally think LaQ is better than Lego.
DS had been enjoying it since I bought the first set last Xmas. Last week, just bought another Expert set.

[tamarind]

Hi SAHM_TAN and happymom_aa,


I just bought a box of LaQ yesterday ! I bought the free style 400 pieces, and I agree with happymom_aa that it is better than Lego. I am hiding the toy first, will my kids play with them during the holidays.

Here is my ranking of the toys based on my personal opinion.

Best : 1) KNEX : very small pieces, but very educational. Kids can build models of real machines and understand how they work. (Age 8+)

2) ZOOB : pieces are bigger than KNEX and LaQ. ZOOB’s shape is inspired by the nucleotides (the basic structural units of nucleic acids) that make up DNA, so ZOOB is more versatile for creating animals. Recommended age is 6+, but the pieces are safe for younger kids. Though it is not easy for young kids to snap the pieces together if their fingers are not strong enough.

3) LaQ : pieces are small and flat, very good for developing fine motor skills. But since the pieces are mostly flat, I think they are not as versatile as KNEX or ZOOB.

4) Lego : Lego blocks are least versatile and not as interesting as the toys above. However, the Duplo set has big pieces which are safe for babies. Though the recommended age group is 2 to 5, I bought a set for my girl when she was 1 year old and she loved it.


I have all the above toys and I think kids will benefit greatly from playing with these toys.

Just to clarify that I am not rich. I saved a lot of money when I kept my boy at home for one year instead of sending him to kindergarten, because he was often ill. I used the money saved to buy excellent toys and books for him. These are really excellent investments.

[SAHM_TAN]

The US dollar is low now, guess would be a good time to buy. I have 3 kids, so if the pieces are not lost, I can justify by dividing the cost by 3

[SAHM_TAN]

KNEX has kids version for 3-5 yos

[tamarind]

SAHM_TAN:

The US dollar is low now, guess would be a good time to buy. I have 3 kids, so if the pieces are not lost, I can justify by dividing the cost by 3

USD is lower than 1.30 now, it is definitely the best time to buy from USA

[mamii]

Hi, my 4 yo DS is obsessed with dinosaurs. He likes to play with lego though and I am looking for other similar lego toys for him. I find that his motor skills is not very good.


I am interested in the ZOOB and KNEX for kids, where can I get them in spore ?

Any activities to recommend to improve his motor skills and concentration ? He is a very active boy. I have got him the strider but he is not interested in such things like bicycles or skate scooter. He prefers running around the park and kicking ball, which I am happy to see him doing that. I just want to introduce him to more activities so that he has more options to play with.

TIA

[SAHM_TAN]

mamii:

Hi, my 4 yo DS is obsessed with dinosaurs. He likes to play with lego though and I am looking for other similar lego toys for him. I find that his motor skills is not very good.


I am interested in the ZOOB and KNEX for kids, where can I get them in spore ?

Any activities to recommend to improve his motor skills and concentration ? He is a very active boy. I have got him the strider but he is not interested in such things like bicycles or skate scooter. He prefers running around the park and kicking ball, which I am happy to see him doing that. I just want to introduce him to more activities so that he has more options to play with.

TIA

Locally I found ZOOB at http://www.weketoys.com but think the selection is limited. As for KNEX, don't think it's sold locally. I'm gettting a set from US since now the dollar is low. Am trying to decide which set to get for them.

My son is 4 months shy of 4yos. I let him work with keys and locks, since he is interested in such things, I also have a toy that has different types of locks. He also like to work with bottle lids, big ones and small ones. I also bought him tool box toy and he can use the screw driver or his fingers to work on the nuts and bolts. I let him paint, colour. I also buy his favourite stickers to let him take out and paste (small and big ones). I also let him play with home-made playdough and puzzles. He also uses the scissors (blade with round edges) with supervison. In school, there are other activities for him. The above work on his motor skills and concentration length. Now he is able to button and unbutton his uniform so I'm thinking how to introduce him to the chopsticks

[SAHM_TAN]

Oh yes, forgot to include, I reduced access to TV till about an hour per day. Sometimes, I can get away with no TV allowance for a day :evil:


I also let him unwrap his sweets. Basically, I let him do things for himself as much as possible.

[SAHM_TAN]

Decided on this for my 2 young ones http://www.knex.com/educational_toys/kid_k%E2%80%99nex_models_that_move.php