Enduring toys for children to love over and over again

Christmas doesn’t have to be all fads and plastic toys. Find some that will give and keep on giving

The run-up to Christmas 2010 was one of those parenting episodes when you look back and wonder “What was I thinking?”

My youngest seemed to have his heart set on a gadget toy of the moment but, by early December, all the shops I tried were sold out. I signed up for email notification if more stocks were to arrive.

Sure enough, a few days before Christmas, I was told it was back in a toy “superstore” not too far away. I braved the icy roads early one morning and was ridiculously relieved to secure one grossly over-priced plastic battery-operated toy.

On Christmas Eve the intended recipient mentioned in passing that he didn’t really want this particular item after all. It was too late; there was no question of buying something else. That had to be a record in our house – child bored with Christmas present before he even got it.

Tight budgets

The final twist was that the stupid thing didn’t work – so we ended up returning it to the shop and getting a credit note, which my son then spent on more rubbish of his own choosing.

With most family budgets very tight, it makes more sense than ever to try to give a child a toy that is going to last – both physically and in keeping their interest. It is understandable that children are sucked into fads, but right-minded adults should resist.

So what should you look out for if you want your hard-earned money to go on an enduring toy?

The advice from Doireann O’Connor, lecturer in early childhood education at the Institute of Technology in Sligo, is that a really good toy is 90 per cent child and 10 per cent toy. “The more that the child has to bring to the toy, rather than the toy has to bring to the child, the better.”

Toys with flashing lights and buttons to press only do one thing and are very boring after 20 minutes, she says. “It is the one that does many, many things that is the most enduring toy.”

Dress-up outfits are excellent for small children – firemen, nurses, doctors, etc – but O’Connor suggests avoiding branded costumes from TV series, as children are more inclined to act out the storylines they have seen, rather than make up their own.

“That can be a recreation rather than a creation and the generic outfits leave the child freer. The more they can bring their own rules to them, the better the learning will be for them.”

Sensory learning

And if you thought that toys made from natural materials were more about appealing to the aesthetic sensibilities of “right on” parents, rather than the children, you would be wrong. They are important for sensory learning, says O’Connor, who recently gave a TEDx talk in Cork on the Development of Creativity and Innovation through Education (available on YouTube).

Children learn a lot through textures. The early fundamentals of maths and science are grasped through how things feel – materials such as wood, cotton and silk, as opposed to plastic, which is one-dimensional.

Take, for instance two sets of blocks, one made from plastic, the other from wood, says O’Connor. “They are different sizes but the big plastic one does not weigh much [more than] the small plastic one; whereas the wooden ones give a totally different sense of weight and volume.”

Irish outlets specialising in quality toys with a high play value see customers spending their money much more carefully now.

“A lot more people want durable products,” says Daniel Ulrichs of the Wooden Heart toyshop, on Quay Street in Galway. “They are looking for old-school, designer elements.”

Of course, quality products are always more expensive than plastic products, but customers “are willing to pay the 30-50 per cent extra because they are aware they will last”.

However, gone are the days of the boom, he says, when people would dismiss a suggestion of a really apt toy costing, say, about €30, as “too cheap – show us something for €80”, which might not be suitable.

“They didn’t care. They just wanted to spend the money,” says Ulrichs. “Although it was great for business, it wasn’t great for our ethos or our philosophy. We always try to do the best for the child.”

Here are a few suggestions for toys that will last from one Christmas to the next and can be handed down, not only to siblings but maybe to the next generation too.

Doll’s house

Miniature versions of domestic life have a timeless fascination for children. Sophie's House, from the Le Toy Van range, is a bestseller for a number of outlets, including woodentoys.ie. It comes with dolls and furniture in bundles costing between €169.99 and €194.99. Wooden Toys was set up by Joseph and Melanie Dillon in 2007 after they found it difficult to buy the sort of lasting toys they wanted for their two daughters.

Rocking horse

A really good rocking horse doesn't just last a childhood, but many generations. And you'll find no finer beasts than those created by Co Cavan woodcarver Patrick Bradley ( rockinghorseireland.com). He uses Irish hardwood – beech or oak – and one piece takes him about six weeks to make. Each horse is mounted on a safety glider stand and will take the weight of an average adult – so mum and dad can have a go too.

Prices start at €3,000 – which means it's "dream on" for most families. Another Irish outlet for handmade rocking horses is irishrockinghorses.com, where prices range from €995.

Mass-produced versions are available in most big toy stores. Smyths has small ones from €49.99 (but don’t count on those becoming heirlooms); Mamas and Papas stocks a more substantial horse called Brandy for €379.

Lego

With a mathematician working out that there are 915 million ways for a child to combine just six eight-stud Lego bricks, it’s no wonder that it is one of the modern world’s most enduring toys.

It all started in 1932, with wooden versions being made by a Danish carpenter. Lego moved into plastic in the 1940s and now sells across 130 countries. There is a vast range of products to suit every age, capability and budget.

Wooden construction

If you prefer your small children to build in wood, you can't beat a set of painted bricks in a pull-along cart, like the 29-piece set for €19.99, pictured above, from The Toy Box in Kilkenny ( thetoybox.ie).

Mimi Doyle, the founder of Mimi Toys in Co Meath, recommends a versatile construction kit from the traditional Italian toy-maker Sevi. It has 35 pieces and sells for €27.95 through the website mimitoys.ie, or its shop in Navan. Called an Aeroplane Construction Kit, it can be used to build much more besides and is good for boosting hand to eye co-ordination.

Wheely Bug

This really popular, sit-on toy comes in two sizes – for children aged one to three years and for three-plus – and in a variety of looks. It helps to promote self-confidence, spatial awareness and gross motor skills. The padded body provides a comfortable seat and the base is made from plantation-grown, poplar plywood. It sells for €69 in Little Dreamers, Galway, where the demonstration models are a favourite with visiting children.

Didicar

There's a pleasing futuristic look to this sturdy, ride-on toy. With no batteries, motor or pedals, it moves forwards or backwards just by moving the steering wheel from left to right. Recommended for children aged three up, it is built to take up to 100kg (220lb), so older family members can enjoy it too. Available for €64.95 from mimitoys.ie.

First wheels

Pedal-free training bikes, both wooden and metal, that teach the art of balance make great presents for children aged two to five. But that does not mean you have to deprive a toddler of the chance of riding three wheels before progressing to two.

This Radio Flyer Classic Dual Deck Tricycle (€159.95), pictured, is very popular with customers of the Wooden Heart in Galway ( woodenheart.ie).

Play kitchen

Toy kitchens have certainly proven their play value, satisfying the creative urges of young chefs before they can be let loose in the real thing. Some, such as the colourful Janod Maxi Cooker (€119.99) from woodentoys.ie, will come with accessories.

Alternatively, you can buy Ikea's Duktig mini-kitchen, made out of birch plywood (€100), and add in extras such as a 14-piece fabric vegetable set for €8.50 ( ikea.ie).

Wooden workbench

Foster a flair for DIY with a well-equipped workbench, which offers plenty of tools for imaginative play. The wooden one pictured above costs €79 at Sensational Kids, which has a shop in Kildare and sells online through sensationalkids.ie. All profits go back into the charity.

Train set

Wooden train sets that offer plenty of potential for expansion and additions are gifts that can keep on receiving, as well as giving. Blithe Spirit ( blithe.ie) in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow has a wide range, with sets costing from €13.75 to €115, and plenty of accessories besides.

Its bestseller is the 122-piece Transport Set, pictured above, which includes an airport and petrol station as well as a railway.

Easel

A wooden easel is perfect for facilitating years of artistic creativity. Most are double sided: blackboard on one side, whiteboard on the other. Look for one with a tray underneath to hold materials, such as the one for €20 from Ikea, or one from woodentoys.ie(€59.99) that has a very useful, built-in paper roll that can be pulled down over the whiteboard.

Hand puppets

A great tool for enjoyable communication and interaction between parent and child; use one to entertain your baby and it won’t be long before she’ll be getting her little hands into it. Check out the Sterntaler range, pictured. Made from really soft textiles, it’s available at €21.95 from Wooden Heart, Galway.

Chess set

Teach your children to play chess and you've given them the gift of an intellectually challenging game for life. Look for a really durable set, such as the wooden tablette with concealed flip-out drawer to store the pieces available for €56.99 from O'Mahony's Booksellers ( omahonys.ie).

Wooden tractor

A wooden tractor and trailer with bricks or animals (€170) is the bestseller in the Handmade Toys 4U range that Steve Martin crafts at his Co Tipperary home in Moyne, near Thurles.

He can vouch for his toys standing the test of time as his two adult children still have ones he made for them, and are now passing them on to his grandchildren ( handmadetoys4u.ie).

Bear necessities

Teddies come in all shapes, sizes, colours and prices, and it is hard to predict which will become the “one” for your child. This jumbo one, pictured above left (€72), measuring more than two feet in each direction, is made for hugging by anybody aged two or over and is available at Sensational Kids.

Dress-up

Children may grow out of dress-up costumes in a year or two but all that role play might be the first makings of a career. No wonder parents are favouring doctors’ uniforms – we’ve had our fill of cowboys in Ireland.