Playroom Chronicles Podcast
Where parents come to rethink play, and rediscover toy joy by learning to Think Outside The Toy Box® and Play Like It's 1979™.
Playroom Chronicles Podcast
The Only 10 Toys Your Child Will Ever Need (Part 1)
Tired of toys that collect dust after a few months? Discover the revolutionary "toy capsule" concept - a carefully curated collection of versatile playthings that truly grow with your child from infancy through the tween years.
Just like a capsule wardrobe features timeless clothing pieces that transition between seasons, these foundational toys adapt to different developmental stages, providing fresh engagement opportunities year after year. The secret? Focusing on unbranded, open-ended toys that spark imagination rather than character-based or trendy items that quickly lose their appeal.
The first five essentials in this carefully crafted collection might surprise you. Play tents transform from baby peekaboo spots to preschool spaceships to tween reading nooks. Bowling sets begin as sensory toys for infants before becoming math games or physics experiments for older kids. Hula hoops, musical instruments, and art easels round out the first half of the list, each offering unique developmental benefits across an entire decade of childhood.
What makes these choices particularly powerful is their adaptability. A play tent that entertains a crawling baby can later become a science fair display for a fifth-grader. A simple bowling set that teaches cause-and-effect to a toddler evolves into a creative math game for elementary students. These toys don't just entertain - they grow alongside your child, supporting different skills and interests at each developmental stage.
Ready to transform your approach to toys and create a playroom that's both practical and engaging? Visit toyboxplayroomchronicles.com/top10 for the complete guide and connect with me on Instagram @PlayroomChronicles to share how you're implementing these ideas in your home!
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Hey, playpals, welcome back to the podcast, and today we're going to be talking about actual toys, that's right. Not how to store them, not how to organize them, not how to display them, not even how to get your kids to pick up them, but we're going to be talking about the toys themselves, more specifically, the ones that I think deserve a spot in your home, whether your child is still learning to crawl or they've already moved into the tween with opinions phase. Because I often get asked these questions Charlene, what toys should I keep in my home? What toys actually get played with? What toys are worth investing in? What toys to buy this holiday season? What toys to buy for this birthday party my kid got invited to next Saturday? I love these questions because, while there's always going to be the hottest new toys on the market, the trendiest toys, believe me, I love talking about those too. There's something even more powerful about toy classics. Not just classic toys like a wooden train or a teddy bear, but classic toys that belong into what I call the toy capsule. Think of it like a capsule wardrobe, but for your playroom. Just like you only need a few quality pieces in your closet that work for different seasons. Well, that concept can apply to toys, where you only need a few key toys that work at different stages of your child's growth and development, the toys that don't get shoved into the giveaway pile after three months, the toys that spark different kinds of play over time, not just one moment of joy, and toys that can be used when a child is two and that same toy can be used when a child is 12. And yes, that is possible. So today I want to walk you through these toys that are on my top 10 list in that toy capsule, if you will. Now I'm going to focus on the first five in this particular episode and then the next episode, the remaining five and, for those of you who want to know, allplayroomchroniclescom slash top 10. I'll also put the link in the show notes.
Charlene DeLoach:Now, before I start listing my favorite toys to have, let me go over two key points. Number one when I mention these toys, try to think about getting toys that are unbranded or unlicensed. And what I mean is, if I'm talking about X toy and there's the Paw Patrol version or the Barbie version or the Spider-Man version, I'm saying try to get one that is neutral version, right, no characters to it. Because, let's face it, when your child is two and really into Paw Patrol, the likelihood that they want to be declaring that or have that same interest when they're 12, probably not so when you can always get unbranded options for the toys that I'm going to mention here. 10, always get unbranded options for the toys that I'm going to mention here. Second, as I'm going through this list, it is, yeah, the top 10 list, but when I mentioned the first toy, it's not necessarily number 10, meaning it's less than number nine. These are all equal, so it's not one of those top 10 countdown lists from music radio, dj Nope. All 10 get equal weight, so don't worry about that. So you guys ready to hear what the top 10 toys are? Well, let's jump in.
Charlene DeLoach:All right, let's start with one of the most underestimated toys out there a play tent. And what I love about play tents is that when a baby is just starting to crawl, that tent can actually become a really fun peekaboo spot. You can put your baby in the play tent and then use the flaps to open and close and do peekaboo, peekaboo. You can also be putting toys in the tent and be talking about hey, this is in and then taking it out. Now it's out. So they're starting to learn some cause and effect, they're working on some sensory skills and of course they're having fun. And as they start crawling, that tent can become the destination and encourage movement. You can put a favorite toy in there and they have to work to go get it. It becomes this little mini mission space for them and they're learning cause and effect, motivation, direction. This is actually not all cute. It actually is cognitive and brain building and fast forward to toddlerhood and preschool times. Well, now that tent becomes a spaceship or a veterinary clinic or a drive-thru smoothie shop, their imagination can start taking over.
Charlene DeLoach:Then, when your child hits school age, that tent can transform again. Now it can become a little mini napping spot, it can become a reading nook or even a sensory retreat For some kids. It's where they can go when they feel overstimulated or need a break. In fact, I love using stick-on wallpaper in like a forest kind of scene and calling the tent the treehouse. It's calm, it's cozy and it could be a coping tool for a lot of kids. And then for the ones who love to read, it is their book nook. They can go in there, put all their favorite books and it's a way to encourage literacy. And then when a child gets to you know, 9, 10, 11, even 12, yes, even tweens they can use that tent to stash their stuffed animal collection. And they can actually use it for a variety of you know, science fair displays and other academic pursuits, because I cannot tell you how many times I'm the mom who is showing up school with a pop-up tent and ready to present a volcano or talking about some history or something, and now the tent becomes this visual prop and let me tell you, a lot of teachers really appreciate that. So that play tent can be used for over 10 years in a variety of different ways. That's the true power of the play tent it adapts.
Charlene DeLoach:Okay, the second toy in my capsule list I want to talk about is going to probably surprise some, some people, but it is a bowling set yes, bowling. So stay with me. Let me explain. It is the good kind, the lightweight plastic, but not the flimsy ones. There's different versions, so you definitely want to put a little bit more money into it and, of course, I'm going to show you all the different ways. So it's definitely worth it.
Charlene DeLoach:And also not a real bowling set, right? Not the ones that you would actually see in a bowling alley, because that would pretty much destroy our floors. But basically, when your baby is small, these plastic bowling sets are great ways to play. Now you're going to be like Charlene my baby's not even walking yet. How are they going to go bowling?
Charlene DeLoach:Well, the pins themselves actually can be sensory toys. Babies can bang them together. They can bang them on a Tupperware container like a drum. They can explore the shape and the feel of it. So, yeah, they're not necessarily using it for bowling right now, but the bowling set has some sensory and cause and effect play just by using the pins and then, of course, the ball that comes with it. Well, roll it and they have to crawl after it to encourage movement and more. Then, when your child is tolling around and walking, yeah, they can start rolling the ball and knocking the pins down. Then preschoolers can actually use it for play dates and you can even sort of set up a really fun bowling night, serve some fun snacks and treats and go bowling with the whole family and then, as your child gets older, write numbers on the pins or even letters.
Charlene DeLoach:But writing numbers on the pins, you can turn it into a math game as they bowl the ball, whatever pins fall over. If it happens to be like number two and four and six, whatever's on the pins, great. They have to add it up, have to subtract, multiply, divide. If it's letters, if you have a couple of bowling sets, put a whole bunch of letters on there. If it's letters, if you have a couple of bowling sets, put a whole bunch of letters on there. And as they roll, they have to think of a word that begins with the letter H, or has to think of a story that they can start off with with the letter S or whatever pins fall down. Well, can they come up with a word that has two of the letters in it? There's so many different ways. You can turn that bowling set into an educational activity and then you can take it outside and set them up on the driveway, not just for bowling, but you can actually use the pins and put a whole bunch of stations around the space, and now it becomes like an obstacle course for the bike or the scooter, as the kids have to weave through them or set them up on a fence, and kids on a hot summer day can take their water blasters and try to blast them down. And then, as they get to the tween and teen phase, they can be using these in homemade physics experiments, learning about velocity and motion and gravity. Basically, it's one of those things that can start as a toy and ends as a tool for creative expression and learning.
Charlene DeLoach:Okay, number three on the list hula hoops. Now again, you're probably like Charlene my kid can't even stand up yet. What are they going to do with a hula hoop? Or those are so boring. Well, stay with me. Let me tell you why.
Charlene DeLoach:A hula hoop flat on the floor is a toddler's playground. It's actually fun for babies too. So let me back up. Imagine taking a hula hoop and you're just holding it vertically right, and now you can encourage your baby to try to crawl through the hoop, and not only are you encouraging their movement and their crawling ability, but actually going through. Something like that is a big sensory step for babies. Then, as a child becomes a toddler, you can take a whole bunch of hula hoops, bring them outside, keep them vertical and just use those pins. They're like U-shaped, and you can push them in the ground and now have a makeshift play tunnel that they can crawl through or weave through. Or you can lie them flat on the ground and you can toss a stuffed animal in it and again work on the concepts of in and out. So you have spatial awareness and prepositions and vocabulary all from putting a toy in the circle and bringing it out and then, as they grow, you can put some in the driveway as a ninja training ground. They have to hop in them and hop out of them and they have to almost use it like hopscotch. They have to do that like football, running through it, right, all the things they can turn it into such a fun physical activity game. And I hope you know by this point I have not even mentioned using the hula hoop like a hula hoop. So that's obviously an option as well. Or you can hang one for a tree and turn it into a target for beanbags or even for footballs and baseballs for tweens and teens that are working on their skills, for their sports team, and you can even use it as a version of ring toss. Needless to say, tweens and teens also love doing fun things and posting it on social media and doing YouTube challenges. Needless to say, it is such a simple object, but the play it inspires is anything but basic.
Charlene DeLoach:Okay, I think we're on to number four now, and it is musical toys. Now what I suggest is having a combination of three One that has some sort of keys, like a keyboard, a play piano, a xylophone, that is like drums, so a little drum set or bongos or something similar, and then something else that you can sort of shake, so it could be maracas, or it could be a triangle, or it can be symbols, something like that. So if you have sort of those three, now your kids have this magical musical playground. And then for babies, of course, cause and effect, right Like taking their hand and they're banging on it and I can see what the sound is. I'm like, oh hey, I take my hand, I'm banging on it. Look, a sound comes out which is really fun. But then you can also do some fun games with it. So you could be hiding in another room with the cymbal or the little play drum and they have to find you by listening to the sound. Then, of course, as they get a little older, they can be learning musical concepts, then they can move on to hosting concerts for the family and then later, as the kids are teens and tweens, all those same instruments can be used for school projects, for videos with sound effects in the stories that they're creating. So it's teaching them about music, yes, but not just becoming a musician, but it's giving them this way to express and explore sound, find fun, creative ways to play with it, and so much more.
Charlene DeLoach:Now, finally, the fifth toy in the first half of this list that we're going to be talking about today is an art easel. Now, I love easels because they let kids stand up while they create, and for kids who struggle to sit still or focus at a table, this can definitely make a huge difference. But when they're little, of course, the art evil is all about scribbles and chalk and finger painting so important. And as they grow a little bit more, that creative expression actually now can become a sensory exploration. Exploration because they get to experiment with different materials right Chalk markers, crayons, all the things. Especially if you get a dual-sided art easel One side is a chalkboard, one side's a whiteboard. Then you can put paper on it. So now they can stand and sort of work on how each medium feels different and glides differently, while they're learning fine motor skills and pressure control and pencil grip. Then later that same easel can become a homework helper Clip up the math sheets, so a child who maybe doesn't want to sit any longer? Well, now they can stand and work on their math problem while they're standing up and using the easel. And in fact that easel can even be a whiteboard to work out a tough problem, or become a thinking wall, and then eventually it can actually become the family's message board right, what chores everyone has to do? Or what someone wants at the grocery store, chores everyone has to do, or what someone wants at the grocery store. And then later on it can even be like a sidewalk sign. So if you're hosting a party now, you can say you know, head this way, go to the backyard or whatever have you. Or it could be used at Halloween where you have the big bowl of candy and it says take one treat.
Charlene DeLoach:There's so many ways to use an art easel. It's functional and playful and to me that's the sweet spot. So there you go. So far play tents, bowling sets, hula hoops, musical toys and art easels. If you only had these five things in your play space, you have more than enough fuel for creative, skill building, educational and independent play from babies to teens. So in the next episode. I'm going to walk you through the next five and final five toys in this top 10 toy capsule collection, if you will. But again, if you want the full list now or you like looking at pictures, then you can go to toyboxplayroomchroniclescom slash top 10. And, of course, find me on Instagram at Playroom Chronicles, because I love seeing how you guys are bringing these toys into your home and what you're doing. And, as always, I appreciate the subscribe for this podcast. All right, that's it for now. Keep playing and I'll see you next time for part two.
