All new parents will quickly learn that an attractive, award-winning toy may or may not make the grade for your toddler. Usually, the more expensive your purchase, the less of an impression it makes on Junior. After several repeat episodes of buying toys designed by "experts" to "stimulate" this or that part of the noggin, we are sadly disappointed with a banished toy and empty wallet.
The ugly truth is most of us seek out gizmos that will occupy our kiddos to give us extra time to "get stuff done" around the house. Many of the great classic and even good modern toys aren't that expensive, but require more direction from parents. This means you can check your child at the toy bin and go about your day. There's no need to rent a POD out back to stock all the toys in—your best bets are always the simplest and least expensive options.
A word to the wise: if you are genuinely seeking toys that help develop your child's creativity, you'll need to "help" them learn how to play. It is far easier to buy a $70 deluxe music table and let them do their thing for hours—it's another to actually reveal the possibilities of a set of $10 blocks. Here's a peek at some of the best toys you can buy for Princess under $15.
Toys with Sound
Regardless of where you stand with yammering toys, gird your loins for a repeat marathon of the same songs. Most of the table toys that have a music and learning option cost well over $40, so to keep things frugal opt for instruments. Little ones will love the Baby Einstein Count and Compose Piano for just $14.99 or The Farmer Says by Fisher Price at only $12.99. Xylophones, maracas, whistles, or even make your own percussion studio out of old water bottles and beans. Leap Frog makes a fun set of complicated maracas, but Junior will have just as much fun with the real thing.
What to avoid: One-trick-pony toys like the Tickle Me You-Know-Who that do one thing and stop. Before buying that singing monstrosity ask yourself what your child can learn from it.
Classic Toys
The class shape sorter will always be a hit. Kids love trying to find the right hole that coordinates with it's matching shape. At just $10.98 the Fisher Price Baby's First Blocks Set is great for kids 12 months and older. Melissa and Doug make fabulous durable, wooden toys that children can bang up without destroying. My favorite are their jumbo wooden knob puzzles starting at just $9.99 and the 50-piece wooden block set for $14.99.
Links with different colors help kids learn how to pattern an order of colors. You can make your own or purchase a set of 50 from the mega grocery store. Dust off that Mr. Potato Head in your mom's attic—he continues to be a hit with every generation. At just over $8 you can use the chubby spud to teach body parts.
Unconventional Toys
Better than inexpensive, these toys are free! Leave one cabinet in your kitchen for Princess to play in and keep your measuring cups, leftover containers, and plastic mixing bowls for her to explore. After all, your set of cups was the inspiration for the plastic nesting bowls, only yours are already purchased and way cheaper. For the pre-crawler, save a couple medium-sized boxes to practice pulling up and keep those shoe boxes—they make awesome bricks for a fort. Many kids won't play with anything that smacks of a store-bought gadget.
When your child is old enough to begin helping your cook or build something in the garage, allow them to use the real thing (with heavy supervision). Don't buy the pink cookie baking set—use the pans and bowls in your kitchen for good learning experiences and entertainment.
For more savings tips, check out FreeShippping.org's "Go Frugal" blog at www.freeshipping.org/blog/
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