Thinking ahead to their first birthday

Yes, I am a planner by nature. I have been thinking long and hard about what to get them for their first birthdays and I just don't know. I am thinking some indoor stuff and some outdoor stuff. I would love to hear what items were great purchases (were loved by your kids and lasted more than a few months) for the one year age. Thanks in advance.

 

For Christmas the boys got learning tables and stride to ride toys...those are great and still well used. I just recently bought the boys a sand and water table and they love it...and it's a nice way to get them outside to play. http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1304

 

We got a ball pit and they love it!!! We actually got an inflatble baby pool and like 400 balls. We can't keep them out now!!!

 

QUOTE(alankford @ May 8 2008, 02:32 PM) [snapback]762534[/snapback]
We got a ball pit and they love it!!! We actually got an inflatble baby pool and like 400 balls. We can't keep them out now!!!


That is a great idea! Much cheaper than buying the entire pit!

 

It ended up costing about $30. We couldn't find a ball pit for the both of them that was affordable. All of the afordable ones are tiny!!!

 

what kind of balls did you get for it?? and where did you get them?

 

QUOTE(alankford @ May 8 2008, 07:32 AM) [snapback]762534[/snapback]
We got a ball pit and they love it!!! We actually got an inflatble baby pool and like 400 balls. We can't keep them out now!!!

So, do they just throw them all out and then you have to pick them all back up and they throw them all out again?

 

QUOTE(~* dfaut *~ @ May 8 2008, 12:57 PM) [snapback]763141[/snapback]
So, do they just throw them all out and then you have to pick them all back up and they throw them all out again?


This is exactly what I was wondering! It sounds like tons of fun, but that's just what I picture my boys doing (DH calls their play style 'seek and destroy').

To the OP, we got them Pottery Barn Anywhere Chairs, and they LOVE them!

 

So, I had been thinking of maybe a play house for the yard, or some of those little cars they could ride around in/be pushed around in, a swing/slide type structure, a swimming pool (which is better inflatable or plastic and why? any favorite pools out there? I had this idea of outdoor toys perhaps because they turn one in July and we have a back yard that is pretty boring right now. Am I off base with these ideas? And the water tables...I don't understand those...what is the advantage of having one instead of a little swimming pool?

 

My twins don't grasp the consept of just throwing them out. They just pick them up and dig in them a lot. When some of the balls do get out when we are done playing the twins know to put all the balls back in the pit.

We got an inflatble one because I didn't want them to hit the hard plastic with their face.

We got ball pit balls at toys r us for 9.99 for 100. We also found some more at Target.

 

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267575
Balls