open-ended toys
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Basic Block Set
Unit blocks are basic standardized block sets. Think solid wood blocks that you might see in an old-school kindergarten classroom. These are, by far, the most used toy we have. We started with one set of the Melissa and Doug unit blocks and slowly added more sets as they got more use. The Melissa and Doug sets have gone on sale around the holidays in past years. You can also find unit blocks from most online educational retailers and brands (Lakeshore, Guidecraft, Community Playthings, etc.) My current favorite place to get unit blocks is Everwood Friends. We have since added to our basic unit block set with specialty unit blocks from Lakeshore. When searching for these blocks, you want to make sure they are specifically referred to as “unit blocks” because then they are standardized and you can mix and match different brands together.
Special Block Sets/Pieces
Uncle Goose ABC blocks, Grimm’s Wave Element, Grimm’s Rainbow Stacking Tunnel, Grimm’s Wooden Building Cubes
There are a variety of fun block pieces out there, ranging from basic colorful blocks to arches, ramps, and more. Most of our specialty pieces are from companies like Grimm’s and Grapat. As I write this (2020), Grimm’s and Grapat have limited availability due to COVID, and there is a lot of price gouging happening. The best places to look for specialty wooden block sets are small online stores like The Wooden Wagon, Bella Luna Toys, and Nova Natural, to name a few. There are also several BST Facebook groups where you can pick up some sets second hand or check for stock availability. This is my go-to FB group.
Peg Dolls
Grapat
We love peg dolls. The kids are always coming up with different characters and roles for our various peg dolls. You can get peg dolls from companies like Grimm’s and Grapat, Etsy, or even make your own. Hana from Pepper and Pine has a great tutorial for DIY peg dolls.
Animal Figurines
Ostheimer, Schleich
Along with peg dolls, our kiddos also enjoy using a variety of animal figurines in their play. The kids love using them in storytelling. Miss C2 loves matching baby animals up with their Mama/Dada. We have a mixture of Schleich and Ostheimer animals out all the time and a variety of theme-specific Safari Ltd. Toobs for small world play. That said, the brand/style doesn't matter — the idea is to have animals that could represent a variety of characters rather than a specific character animal. For example, a dalmatian dog instead of a Paw Patrol Marshall figurine. Has our Schleich dalmatian been Marshall from Paw Patrol? Absolutely. Is he always Marshall from Paw Patrol, no.
Play Silks
Sarah’s Silks
Our play silks get used daily. Our family (6, 3.5, and 1) uses them for dress-ups, doll play, small world scenery, peek-a-boo games, and even make-shift bags.
Vehicles
Hape, Candylab Toys, Grimm’s
We have a variety of vehicles that our kiddos use with their block creations. Some of our favorites are Matchbox, Candy Lab Toys, Hape, and Grimm's.
Loose Parts
The Workspace for Children, Grapat
Loose parts are small collections of doodads that kids use for so many different purposes. They can be anything from pebbles and acorns to beads and feathers. We have a set of Grapat mandala pieces that the kids use for decorative details for the buildings, pattern making, pretend food, construction site rubble, pretend money, and object permanence activities, to name a few.
Magnetic Tiles
Magna-Tiles
Our kiddos love magnetic tiles. We have a mix of Magna-Tiles and PicassoTiles, and I honestly don't see much of a difference between the two. If/when we expand our set, I'd like to try out Connetix. I am continually impressed with the creations my kiddos come up with using magnetic tiles. It's fascinating to see them at work and figuring out solutions to problems. I love watching 6-year-old C1 teach 3-year-old C2 about using supports and the importance of even weight distribution.
DUPLO/LEGO
LEGO
Our kids love LEGO. It's fun watching how they play independently with LEGO and how they play together. C1 is really into designing houses and vehicles. He loves using LEGO technic pieces to make cool features. C2 is mostly into the storytelling aspect of LEGO and creates a variety of characters and storylines. All 3 kids love playing with DUPLO.
Remember, the goal is to encourage creative, imaginative play. This does not mean you need to get rid of favorite character toys or electronic toys — just start thinking of ways to include more open-ended toys or pair down unused toys. Our current toy collection is six years in the making. I don't recommend that anyone go out and buy an entire shelfie worth of new toys. If you are interested in looking for more sustainable, long-lasting wood toys, here are some shops I recommend:
*be careful buying some of the brands mentioned above from places like Amazon — check prices at other smaller stores first.
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