Sunday, December 31, 2006

Our Current Favorite Toy

Until this past Chanukah, we owned a nice amount of MegaBloks, or those jumbo-sized legos. RaggedyDad almost always spends time every weekend with both kids and these blocks. When we first got them a couple of years ago, RaggedyAnn was big enough to understand and enjoy the concept.

Once Andy started getting around, the main activity was for RD and Ann (3 1/2) to build something before Andy could destroy it. Now that Andy's a little bigger (14 months), he has started adding on pieces to their creations as well. He enjoys walking around and searching for the right spot, and calling it "tatta" before plopping on another block.

Watching them play with this toy for big stretches of time is great. It's not a messy toy, nor is it a noisy toy. The only noisy thing is the occasional "crash" of a tower, usually followed by Andy saying "tatta" or more recently "uh-oh".

When RD and I were discussing what might make for a good, unannoying Chanukah present this year, he suggested "more MegaBloks!" mainly because he wants more MegaBloks. My husband actually enjoys these things all on his own once the kids are asleep. Shhh, don't tell him I said that! He gives long-winded explanations about the structure, style, and durability of his creations. He studies other people's "building styles" and gives suggestions for making their MegaBloks towers earthquake proof. No, I'm not kidding.

When I was in Babies R Us, that bastion of combining diaper sales with diaper coupons, they had 80-count bags of said MegaBloks on sale for less than the 70-count bags. I think they came to about $10 and change each. So, two sacks full of MegaBloks made their way surreptitiously into my bedroom closet and remained there until Chanukah. Eventually all of the MegaBloks were combined into one giant comforter bag.

Here's the latest Raggedy creation that uses nearly every MegaBlok we own.

7 comments:

kasamba said...

Amazing!
Next stop, NASA!

Jack Steiner said...

That is quite a tower.

Sarah Likes Green said...

fun. i like lego!

PsychoToddler said...

That's a great toy. In my kids' day it was Duplo, but it was so freakin' expensive you could never afford enough of it to build a huge tower like that.

As you watch your kids you may get clues from this as to where their talents may lie. When I was in Nursery (not far from where you live, BTW) we had these industrial blocks and I would build massive towers. Everyone thought I was going to be an architect.

I still like to tell people that I am an architect.

RaggedyMom said...

Kasamba - Thanks! RaggedyDad's a Russian cosmonaut in his imagination!

Jack - Thank you! Although I'm sure by your standards, earthquake-proof it ain't.

Sarah - Me too, although my big brothers never liked to share theirs with me.

PT - I think kids definitely show a lot of personality in their play styles.

It's good to know I'm not the only one who gets a kick out of telling people "misinformation" with a straight face. Makes me feel slightly less psychotic!

Orthonomics said...

You should get a marble run set also. We love legos and mega blocks. I believe I picked up our mega blocks for a good deal at the Amazing Savings right in KGH.

RaggedyMom said...

Amazing Savings - love that place. Although RaggedyDad cheesily calls it "Amazing Spendings" because I always manage to find "stuff" there.

A marble run sounds so cool, like that bit on Sesame Street where the music plays and that little marble goes along the track and then becomes powder (anyone remember that?) Defintely something to consider once my kids are a little older.