Chris and I have had an ongoing discussion about toys for the past six weeks. We have plenty of them in our house. And with Christmas on the way we’re about to have plenty more added.

But, the problem is that our kids just don’t really play with many of their toys.

Mack loves cars, so this year I considered buying him a Hot Wheels track.  But, the more I thought about it the more I realized it would be the worst $50 I could spend on my little guy.  Mack likes doing, so after watching the car race around in a circle three times he’d be bored.  Then he’d likely take apart the track, hurl the pieces at his sisters and bring the leftovers into the bath.  The gift would last a week before it was trashed.

The toys they really love playing with are the toys that foster creativity, force imagination or encourage activity. The kitchen set has been a hit since Santa brought it three years ago.  Bikes and sports equipment keep them busy outside for hours.  Evie could play mama with her dolls all day.  Puzzles and books work, too.

For Christmas this year, I don’t want to add to a pile of junk that sits unloved 99% of the time.  I want Santa to bring gifts that will keep them engaged and busy.  No more crappy little plastic space fillers that lose their charm within hours.

Evie and Mack have a tendency to fight (a lot), but when I give them a specific task or project they work wonderfully together.  They just have to keep busy.  So, a set of drawers filled with craft supplies will be a good gift for them.  I happily organized it last night – its tucked into my closet, hiding out for another three days.

Several packs of (washable!) markers and crayons:

(Washable) glue and kiddie scissors:

A huge stack of construction paper:

A bottom drawer filled with goodies from Oriental Trading:

Santa is still bringing Evie the Barbie Unicorn she’s been talking about for months, and Mack is getting a few new trucks that make plenty of noise. But, something tells me they’ll be most excited about the Tower of Crafts!