baby toys wow expensive....

lupin15

Not sure if everyone knows but i am a first time grandma.....The wee one is only 8 weeks old but i thought i would look around for toys for her. I have already bought a few second hand early this year. My god what a price they are to buy new.....how do people afford it??? We have several buy sell sights in our area and i have been and bought loads of stuff this evening from wooden puzzles, to cot activity centres, loads of rattles/toys, wooden bricks, a wooden walker with bricks, telephones, musical book and toys and paid just £50.....all i have to do is clean them. It has been a productive day. Tomorrow i am hoping to pick up a door frame bouncy thing for £5.00 that my daughter said she would like if i could get her one.

cthornley

Congratulations
I tried to avoid buying the worst of the toys yet my house is still bursting at the seams with kids toys (I only have one 3yo boy :shock: )
Charity shop bargains have swelled the collection esp jigsaws
Noisy electronic plastic stuff is popular for approx. 10 seconds but has the ability to annoy parents no end so avoid as much as possible to retain household sanity and find nice stuff
When tiny my DS adored this little blue monkey with a rattle in the tummy ...it was a cheap thing from Sainsbury's but we also had a sneezy the dragon bought from John Lewis by my work which is still sitting pride of place in his bedroom
The only thing I have never scrimped on is books - he has loads, whenever I see one I like I buy it for him. I have read to him everyday since he was tiny and nowadays its 2 stories a night + daytime reads so variety stops me and him getting bored
Any Julia Donaldson books are good - easy to read with great stories as is the Hairy Maclary series...Barry the Fish with Fingers incites laughter everytime it comes out

cthornley

Yes we joined the library as soon as I was up and on my feet after I had him. My LO was the youngest person they had issued a library card to it was a lifeline whilst I was on maternity leave. I have found however that their selection of younger children's books (under 8's) was a bit poor and all of their activities are in the day on weekdays here which is great if you don't work but I do full time. We still use it but less often than I would like as the only time our local library is open and I'm not working is Saturday morning.
My son's nursery do have a reading scheme and he gets a new book to read each week but I do like having a house full of books too. If I ever win millions I would love a house with a library, for me there is something very comforting about books

elnafinn

NCT sales are a good place to buy clothes, toys, etc. Charity shops, as have been mentioned and also ebay.

Look on Freecycle there are often offers of toys and clothes there too and they are free, of course.

I get 20 books out at a time from the library for my young grand daughter to look at and to be read to, when she comes over. She always goes straight to where I keep them for her and settles down to look at them first and then we read them. The library is a wonderful service, although I do agree there is not always a great selection but fine for the time being.

Elna x

lupin15

I must admit i have loads of books always have and i use the book people and buy when they are in the sales. Have loads of books ready to read to her..... Must admit they have only been gone a couple of nights but really miss her...not the crying but her smiling face. Daughter said she was coming around this afternoon so i have told her to wait until i get home from work...