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Classic Toys Kids Play With For Years

December 7, 2021      Sarah Van Wagenen

classic toys for kids

Now more than ever, there is a constant barrage of toy marketing. The holiday season is packed with commercials and advertisements for all the toys you need for your child to get smart. I have to be honest, though, I don’t like most of them. Lots of toys are bright, colorful, and loud. So little of what I see are classic toys my kids would genuinely play with for hours on end and for years to come. 


We have four kids, so toys add up fast, even when we hardly buy any. Just for numbers sake, if each set of grandparents gives each of our kids ONE toy for birthdays and ONE toy for Christmas, plus we buy each of our kids ONE toy for each birthday and for Christmas; that is 24 toys A YEAR!!!!!! A YEAR!! That is how toys add up so quickly. Kids really only need a few classic toys. Research shows the fewer toys kids have the more they use their imaginations and the deeper and longer play they engage in, allowing them to explore and play more creatively. 

Classic Toys from Coco Village

Some of my all time favorite, classic toys for kids are the ones we’ve gotten from Coco Village. As parents and designers, they’ve nailed the  stylish, affordable, high-quality products Premium quality, with smart designs to encourage imaginative play.

classic toys for kids

There are few things as rewarding as watching your children imagine and play creatively with something you picked out for them. I love finding those classic toys that get everyone in the family excited to play. It’s the best to see their little minds working through all the ways they can use those toys for different games.

Every single toy or set we’ve gotten from Coco Village has fit all the criteria for things I want in the toys we get our kids. The boys sit and pretend to wash and iron together. They’ve all love pretending to have tea and toast together or with stuffed animals and dolls. And of course we have endless amounts of fun playing with their wooden ice cream and stand set.

If you’re interested in getting some of the Coco Village toys in time for Christmas, make sure to place your order before December 15th, and use code BLOSSOM10 at checkout for a discount.

5 Questions I Ask to Select Classic Toys for Kids

Here are a few questions I like to ask myself when deciding on gifts to give to my kids. I like to focus on buying them classic toys that they’ll be able to play with for a long time. I also want to make sure that the amount we’re putting towards toys is going to be worth the amount of time those toys are played with over the years.
Does it require them to use their imaginations?

  1. Does it require batteries? (Not a hard and fast rule, there are some exceptions.)

2. Is it high quality? Think, could this last until grandkids come along?

3. Is the cost worth the expected amount of time spent playing with it?

4. Will they be able to play with it for a long time or will they be too big for it in a year or two?

5. Is it plastic? (Again, not mutually exclusive, but if we can avoid more plastic toys, we do.) 

I hope these ideas are helpful to anyone buying gifts for kids. It can see overwhelming, but really kids love simple, and basic, their imaginations can do the rest. One thing I’m trying to focus on better is giving my kids more of my time, I know that’s what they want the most. Sitting and playing with them will never be something I regret! Enjoy this Christmas season!

Sincerely,

Sarah

If you enjoyed this post here are a few more you might like:

10 Interactive and Unique Gift Ideas for Kids

Favorite Kids’ Games: Family Fun Time!

17 STEAM Activities Kids will Love

Favorite Card Games for Families: Cards Played Right

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Hi, I’m Sarah!

Hi, I’m Sarah!

My husband, Kurt, and I live in Birmingham, AL with our three little ones {4}, {2}, & {1}. My husband is currently completing a medical residency. Prior to living here we lived in Texas and Utah for schooling.

This is where I'll be sharing recent reads, favorite recipes and products, everyday style, details about our travels, etc. I'll also be sharing freebies I've designed, so don't miss out! I'm so happy to have you here!

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Halloween 2024 will forever be a favorite family c Halloween 2024 will forever be a favorite family costume! We had so, so much fun planning this one and dancing together! The kids got introduced to Phineas & Ferb by one of their babysitters and we’ve had the best time watching the show together. I don’t know if there is anything cuter than Carter as Perry the Platypus. He LOVED his costume! What a fun crew!! We got home from our London/Paris trip about 24 hours before Halloween so it was an exhausting stretch, but we survived! #halloweenfamilycostume #halloween2024 #boycostumeideas #phineasandferb #familylife #perrytheplatypus #familycostumesarethebest #familycostume #familyof7 #familiesthattravel
Sneak peek of our family costume this year!! The c Sneak peek of our family costume this year!! The cutest Perry the Platypus. He loved his costume and was so excited to be Perry! #familycostume #familycostumesarethebest #halloween2024 #familylife  #perrytheplatypus #phineasandferb #boycostumeideas
Grateful today and every day for F A M I L Y! I wa Grateful today and every day for F A M I L Y! I watch this video from summer on repeat. We had a blast doing this @cost_n_mayor inspired dance together, which has moves much more difficult than they make it look 🤣Our crew gets bigger every year and we already have one more babe since our summer get together. There are 16 grandkids and when we’re all together there are 29 of us! I’m so grateful for my people and the amazing families that Kurt and I have been blessed with. I can’t wait for our next family dance together! 
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We just finished training for a half-marathon and We just finished training for a half-marathon and had our race on Saturday. Kurt was Spider-Man and I was Spider-Man’s biggest fan girl. I had high hopes for running much faster than I did, but getting really sick right before running 13.1 miles made it challenging. I was able to go from an 11:30 minute mile for my first run post-baby to about an 8:50 mile for 13.1 miles so at least I’ve improved. Here are 3 tips for getting half-marathon ready:
1. Sign up for a race (it doesn’t have to be a half, even a 5k is awesome for getting something on the calendar that you’re training for)
2. Find a running partner (obviously, Kurt is my favorite running partner and it has been awesome to train for this race together and go on long runs for our date nights)
3. Start a 12-16 week race plan (we followed a program called Run Less, Run Faster, running 3 days a week with a speed workout, an interval run, and a long run; however, all signs point to more mileage, more often and not as fast being the better route to go for training; sometimes you just do what you can as parents of 5 littles). 
I try to convince everyone to be a runner. It’s just so good for your body, physically, as well as emotionally and mentally. I’m interested to know how many of you are runners or want to run a race. I’ll try to share more of my training and lessons learned. 
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The breakfast smoothie I make every day. 1 banan The breakfast smoothie I make every day. 

1 banana
2 cups of almond milk 
1/2 cup coconut water
Mix of chia seeds + hemp hearts + ground flaxseed 
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (can chill in the fridge or make the night before)
1 scoop @just.ingredients chocolate protein powder
1 scoop PBfit
2 TBS cocoa (I like mine chocolatey)
1 cup ice

I’ve made this smoothie almost every morning for the last several years and it is so good! I love having it first thing in the morning. It’s healthy and filling, and a great way to start the day! The @just.ingredients protein powder is the best chocolate protein powder I’ve tasted, and one with clean ingredients. They’re running their birthday sale (biggest discount of the year!!) tomorrow at 9 AM MST, so this is the time to stock up! 

Let me know what you think if you try this recipe out! #breakfastfood #breakfastideas #breakfastrecipes #justingredients #cleaneatingrecipe #cleaneatingideas #momof5 #momhacks
Taking a moment to express gratitude for these lit Taking a moment to express gratitude for these little humans that make me a better person and bring me so much joy! They are my favorite people! I’m overwhelmed most of every day, but I love learning and growing together. Other than Kurt, most everyone just sees the highlights; the smiles, the candid photos, the cute outfits, the snuggles, and kisses, and hugs. I feel all the feels, as a mama. I want them to stay babies forever; mentally and emotionally I need them to grow up so that I can feel like a real person again that isn’t just running from one dirty diaper to another, and cleaning up messes while spelling out words, and trying to make sure dinner isn’t burning, while nursing and also checking regularly that the mischievous one isn’t standing on the counter eating every m&m out of the trail mix, or painting our white carpet in the guest bedroom every color that is NOT white. Such a hard mix of feelings to continuously feel. Such high highs, and such low lows. And most of the time I’m surrounded by 5 little people, without the ability to think uninterrupted thoughts, and still feeling incredibly alone. Motherhood is a beautiful opportunity to recognize and feel gratitude for everything our mothers have done for us. I truly love being a mother. I get special moments every day that remind me why I’m doing everything I’m doing. 
Dolly asking me if she can be my baby forever. Lacey being a natural mama to the babies, imitating how I love on them. Grant asking for a hug when he was exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of a fun, but long day. McKay giving the world’s best kisses (don’t tell Kurt 😉), and Carter happily waving and being loved on by a whole crew of older siblings. I hope they know they’re my whole world, and always will be.
Merry Christmas Eve! We have been busy doing all t Merry Christmas Eve! We have been busy doing all the Christmas baking and crafts we can squeeze into the past few weeks. Carter doesn’t want to miss out on the all action, and loved watching the kids build their gingerbread houses. 

The Minla 6-in-1 Adjustable High Chair by @MaxiCosiUSA has made it so he can be a part of the fun too. With 6 modes of use it provides a customized fit from infant seat to booster for children from newborn to 6 years of age. We can use it as a relaxed infant seat, a high chair, and as a cool booster seat with tray. The baby stuff with multiple uses have been the best for us to invest in for our littles. 

#MaxiCosi #WeCarryTheFuture
#lovemypbk #sponsored #merrychristmaseve
“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me!” “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me!” Those sweet baby cheeks and big eyes 😍 Maybe if our kids weren’t so dang cute it would be easier to stop having them. Call me crazy, but I’ve hit that stage of postpartum where I’ve had just enough time to forget all the hard things about pregnancy and delivery and I’ve soaked up enough newborn snuggles to say “So worth it! I could do it all again.” 🤪 

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Halloween 2024 will forever be a favorite family c Halloween 2024 will forever be a favorite family costume! We had so, so much fun planning this one and dancing together! The kids got introduced to Phineas & Ferb by one of their babysitters and we’ve had the best time watching the show together. I don’t know if there is anything cuter than Carter as Perry the Platypus. He LOVED his costume! What a fun crew!! We got home from our London/Paris trip about 24 hours before Halloween so it was an exhausting stretch, but we survived! #halloweenfamilycostume #halloween2024 #boycostumeideas #phineasandferb #familylife #perrytheplatypus #familycostumesarethebest #familycostume #familyof7 #familiesthattravel
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Grateful today and every day for F A M I L Y! I wa Grateful today and every day for F A M I L Y! I watch this video from summer on repeat. We had a blast doing this @cost_n_mayor inspired dance together, which has moves much more difficult than they make it look 🤣Our crew gets bigger every year and we already have one more babe since our summer get together. There are 16 grandkids and when we’re all together there are 29 of us! I’m so grateful for my people and the amazing families that Kurt and I have been blessed with. I can’t wait for our next family dance together! 
#familiesthatdancetogetheraremorefun #grateful #blessed #familiesareforever #familydanceparty #familyreunion #familyreunion #danceparty #familyhumoratitsfinest #familyhumor
Happy Halloween from Hogwarts! #harrypotter #famil Happy Halloween from Hogwarts! #harrypotter #familyhalloweencostumes #halloweencostumeideas #halloweencostume #harrypotterworld #harrypotterfan
We just finished training for a half-marathon and We just finished training for a half-marathon and had our race on Saturday. Kurt was Spider-Man and I was Spider-Man’s biggest fan girl. I had high hopes for running much faster than I did, but getting really sick right before running 13.1 miles made it challenging. I was able to go from an 11:30 minute mile for my first run post-baby to about an 8:50 mile for 13.1 miles so at least I’ve improved. Here are 3 tips for getting half-marathon ready:
1. Sign up for a race (it doesn’t have to be a half, even a 5k is awesome for getting something on the calendar that you’re training for)
2. Find a running partner (obviously, Kurt is my favorite running partner and it has been awesome to train for this race together and go on long runs for our date nights)
3. Start a 12-16 week race plan (we followed a program called Run Less, Run Faster, running 3 days a week with a speed workout, an interval run, and a long run; however, all signs point to more mileage, more often and not as fast being the better route to go for training; sometimes you just do what you can as parents of 5 littles). 
I try to convince everyone to be a runner. It’s just so good for your body, physically, as well as emotionally and mentally. I’m interested to know how many of you are runners or want to run a race. I’ll try to share more of my training and lessons learned. 
#areyoureadyforit #halfmarathontraining #halfmarathon #halfmarathonprep #halfmarathonrunner #runningmotivation #runningmoms #momof5 #hauntedhalfmarathon #runningtips #runningtime #momsthatrun
The breakfast smoothie I make every day. 1 banan The breakfast smoothie I make every day. 

1 banana
2 cups of almond milk 
1/2 cup coconut water
Mix of chia seeds + hemp hearts + ground flaxseed 
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (can chill in the fridge or make the night before)
1 scoop @just.ingredients chocolate protein powder
1 scoop PBfit
2 TBS cocoa (I like mine chocolatey)
1 cup ice

I’ve made this smoothie almost every morning for the last several years and it is so good! I love having it first thing in the morning. It’s healthy and filling, and a great way to start the day! The @just.ingredients protein powder is the best chocolate protein powder I’ve tasted, and one with clean ingredients. They’re running their birthday sale (biggest discount of the year!!) tomorrow at 9 AM MST, so this is the time to stock up! 

Let me know what you think if you try this recipe out! #breakfastfood #breakfastideas #breakfastrecipes #justingredients #cleaneatingrecipe #cleaneatingideas #momof5 #momhacks
Taking a moment to express gratitude for these lit Taking a moment to express gratitude for these little humans that make me a better person and bring me so much joy! They are my favorite people! I’m overwhelmed most of every day, but I love learning and growing together. Other than Kurt, most everyone just sees the highlights; the smiles, the candid photos, the cute outfits, the snuggles, and kisses, and hugs. I feel all the feels, as a mama. I want them to stay babies forever; mentally and emotionally I need them to grow up so that I can feel like a real person again that isn’t just running from one dirty diaper to another, and cleaning up messes while spelling out words, and trying to make sure dinner isn’t burning, while nursing and also checking regularly that the mischievous one isn’t standing on the counter eating every m&m out of the trail mix, or painting our white carpet in the guest bedroom every color that is NOT white. Such a hard mix of feelings to continuously feel. Such high highs, and such low lows. And most of the time I’m surrounded by 5 little people, without the ability to think uninterrupted thoughts, and still feeling incredibly alone. Motherhood is a beautiful opportunity to recognize and feel gratitude for everything our mothers have done for us. I truly love being a mother. I get special moments every day that remind me why I’m doing everything I’m doing. 
Dolly asking me if she can be my baby forever. Lacey being a natural mama to the babies, imitating how I love on them. Grant asking for a hug when he was exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of a fun, but long day. McKay giving the world’s best kisses (don’t tell Kurt 😉), and Carter happily waving and being loved on by a whole crew of older siblings. I hope they know they’re my whole world, and always will be.
Merry Christmas Eve! We have been busy doing all t Merry Christmas Eve! We have been busy doing all the Christmas baking and crafts we can squeeze into the past few weeks. Carter doesn’t want to miss out on the all action, and loved watching the kids build their gingerbread houses. 

The Minla 6-in-1 Adjustable High Chair by @MaxiCosiUSA has made it so he can be a part of the fun too. With 6 modes of use it provides a customized fit from infant seat to booster for children from newborn to 6 years of age. We can use it as a relaxed infant seat, a high chair, and as a cool booster seat with tray. The baby stuff with multiple uses have been the best for us to invest in for our littles. 

#MaxiCosi #WeCarryTheFuture
#lovemypbk #sponsored #merrychristmaseve
“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me!” “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me!” Those sweet baby cheeks and big eyes 😍 Maybe if our kids weren’t so dang cute it would be easier to stop having them. Call me crazy, but I’ve hit that stage of postpartum where I’ve had just enough time to forget all the hard things about pregnancy and delivery and I’ve soaked up enough newborn snuggles to say “So worth it! I could do it all again.” 🤪 

#7weeksold #newbornbaby #newbornboy #mamaof5
We got our sneak peek photos back from a studio se We got our sneak peek photos back from a studio session with @flyleafphoto today and my heart melts!! These beautiful babes are my little loves and I am so grateful! 

A little behind the scenes from our photos. The kids did so well and we loved working with Amy! I cannot wait to see the rest of everything they captured.

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