proven toys

K'nex.

Have you tried them? The box says Age 5 and above, but our kids both love them. The directions that come with them aren't great, but once you get the hang of something more complex than Legos, they're pretty neat. The worst part of K'nex for young kids is the fact that they generally need help building a huge creation when you are busy doing something else (see picture).

Perler Beads.

Once called fuse beads, these things come with different forms in each bucket of beads. This is a tedious, time-consuming project for kids. The tricky part is moving the form with its arranged beads to the ironing board without spilling. Also, it stinks to trip on a bucket of beads in the middle of the night; they're not easy to pick up or even sweep up.

Lincoln Logs.

They've played with these for years. Somehow, we have accumulated three sets of Lincoln Logs, so the kids have taken to building Lincoln Log mansions. Isaac was in awe when he saw the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. He exclaimed, "Look at that HUGE Lincoln Log Cabin!" And if you've read old blog posts on here, you''ll know that Isaac even compares lengths of fecal matter to sizes of Lincoln Logs.