Listmania! Mini-Me Edition
By GlindaKids just love to pretend that they are older, don’t they? The Munchkin loves to sweep and vacuum and be all grown up, just like the Scarecrow and me. Too bad we are probably on the last legs of this trend, and sooner rather than later I will be bribing him just to make his bed.
But, for the kids that are still groovin’ on the grown-up thing, these are just the ticket.
Playskool Dusty the Talking Vacuum Cleaner with Bonus Mini-Vac Has animation, fun sounds and even Dusty’s friend Brushy! And oooh! Bonus mini-vac!
Little Tikes Mulching Mower Love stuff from Little Tikes! This one has “mulching action” aka little bouncing balls, a gas cap, and realistic sounds that will be sure to be a big hit.
Little Tikes Shopping Cart The Munchkin got this cart when he was three, and he adored it. It doesn’t just have to be a cart for food, it can be a cart for just about everything! Be prepared, though, to have your child careening around the house with it. They just can’t help it.
Little Tikes Tot Sports Easy Hit Golf Uh, it seems like Little Tikes should be giving me some sort of commission here. For your budding Tiger Woods, this can be played both indoors and out.
Wooden Take-Along 24-piece Tool Kit From Melissa and Doug, this cute little toolbox gets high marks for creativity and safety.
Learning Resources Pretend & Play Doctor Set Many doctor sets don’t have enough equipment, but that isn’t a problem here. There’s enough for an entire medical team!
Learning Resources Teaching Cash Register Check it out, from ages thirty six months to seven years! Not many toys have that kind of longevity. Show me a kid who doesn’t love a cash register, I dare you!
LifeStyle Dream Kitchen A big hit with both boys and girls, this kitchen from Step 2 has great attention to detail, including “stainless steel” appliances and “granite” countertops. It also has lots of fun little extras like boiling water sounds and a 28-piece cookware set.
Animal Hospital Pet Vitamins! Boo-boo cream! Little invidual cages! Keys that open separate doors! This set by Parents is everything an aspiring vet could want.
July 6th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I have yet to meet a kid between 3-5, regardless of sex, who does not love the shopping cart and play kitchen.
July 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
We have the vacuum and my boys love it and fight over who gets to help me vacuum.
July 8th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I can’t believe you didn’t include Playhut
July 9th, 2008 at 3:09 am
But is that pretend-grownup? To me, that’s a “celebrate the kiddom” thing. Certainly a great thing, but a kid-specific thing, no?
Also, when will Dyson et al clue in and make mini versions that actually WORK? This was why EZ-Bake Oven was Teh Shizznit when I was little: it really did bake things!
July 9th, 2008 at 7:05 am
That’s a good point.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I’m not certain who makes them, but there are certainly teeny-tiny sewing machines that work - although certainly, by the age of 10 if not sooner, there’s no reason not to move onto an adult-sized sewing machine.
As far as the Little Carts go, they sound like FANTASTIC ways of getting one’s very own laundry to one’s very own room - or one’s toys picked up and put back in the toybox. It could even be a good way to help Mom take laundry to the laundry area. There’s no reason, after all, why kids can’t be genuinely helpful - part of the purpose behind these toys is to help children learn - they really want to learn, learn what it’s like to be adults. It takes an awful lot more patience to teach a child to be helpful than to just do it oneself - but once you do that, you are repaid many times over; not only do you have someone to help, you have someone well on the way to being an autonomous adult. I was incredibly proud on the nights I was allowed to make dinner, when I was in grade school; and it put me leagues ahead of the girls I knew in college who had no idea how to cook, or how to do their own laundry.