My Favorite Long Lasting Toys For Boys and Girls

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Considering purchasing some toys for a gift soon? Today I’m sharing my favorite toys for boys and girls that have lasted through the little years and are still in constant play.

Considering purchasing some toys for a gift soon? Today I'm sharing my favorite toys for boys and girls that have lasted through the little years and are still in constant play.

Long-Lasting Toys for Children

Over the years, we’ve seen many toys come and go in our household, and I’m sure if you have children, you’ve seen the same. But some toys stick around longer (and, in some cases, MUCH longer) than others. Some toys get played with and asked for repeatedly, while others collect dust and eventually make it to my thrift store pile.

This year, I wanted to take the time to compile a list of these toys for you in case you are ever looking to get toys as a gift for your children or the children in your life.

We are not one of those families that does not have any toys, or that doesn’t believe that you should only play with things outdoors. Toys can be highly beneficial to development and growth. Play is the most important job that your child has when they are young, so providing them with open-ended ideas for their imagination and creativity to soar can be helpful. For more details on the importance of play, I recommend reading the book The Power of Play.

However, we are also not one of those families that have so many mountains of toys that the kids can’t even see to the bottom of the stack. We use a very calm system where we keep almost all of our toys separated into small plastic totes so that the children can just pull out the ones they really want to play with and not have everything out at once.

After working through years of occupational therapy with our children, I can tell you that there are definite ways to keep them engaged in play instead of feeling overwhelmed (and, consequently, bored) with the things they have to play with.

Tip: For more ideas on how I organize our toys, see my post on How to Organize and Downsize Toys.

Toys for Boys and Girls

Back to my primary purpose for this post, and that’s to share with you our favorite toys that have lasted through the younger years of 3 children (and are still getting played with!).

Magnet Tiles

I used to see these on other toy lists and couldn’t see why they were so special until we decided to get them for our children. I’m not sure if it’s the pretty colors or just the fact that they are so open-ended, but these magnet tiles get so much play in our house!

We were unable to afford the name brand “Magnatiles,” so I went with the less expensive Piccasso Tiles on Amazon, and I haven’t regretted it. They are holding up very well, and all 3 children love to play with them on a daily basis.

I love your list, it is spot on. As Grandma I have been a hero for Christmas 2017 & 2019 when I gave my two youngest grandkids Magnet tiles. In the past I often gave grandkids toy animals in those tubes. And of course hot wheels. It is wonderful to see young parents who recognize the really great toys. When my daughter asked if we could give more magnet tiles this year because the kids both played with them almost daily I was thrilled. Thanks for sharing these ideas with others.

Susan, Little House Living reader

Baseball Guys

Last year we stayed at an Airbnb, and my son found these Baseball Guys in the toys the owners had left for kids to play with. He played with them the entirety of our stay, and I decided he needed a set when we got home. He loves to set these up and “play baseball” in his room.

The company makes sets for boys and girls and also makes them in various sports (basketball, soccer, football, etc). These are wonderful toys for any child who can’t get enough sports!

We have “Baseball Guys” in baseball, soccer, football, and hockey — my kids LOVE them. They get lots of play out of all my kids, ages 4-13.

Lia, Little House Living reader

Marble Run

We’ve had a variety of marble runs over the years, and the kids always find them fun, but none of them comes close to how much fun they’ve had with this Building Set Marble Run.

The pieces are similar to Duplo Legos (and can attach to them), and your child can build their own marble run while they are building blocks. This set is the top toy in our house right now and has been for quite some time. We ended up getting two sets of these for building bigger marble runs!

Toy Animals

Playing with various types of animals has always been fun for our children, from the oldest to the youngest. I was lucky enough to find a set of Schleich animals at the thrift store when we first started collecting, but I’ve added it to our collection since.

We’ve found the Safari Ltd. animals to be of similar quality but more budget-friendly, and we like to buy the Toobs for other projects as well. (The Space TOOB is a favorite of my oldest son; you can see it in action in some homemade slime above.)

We bought a set of Dinosaur Safari Ltd toys for our middle son for his most recent birthday, and he loves to play with them, especially outside in the mud. We also have quite a few “barnyard” animals that the kids play with in their wooden barn. The kids like to get these dirty, either in the mud, sand or some kind of sensory bin, so I like that they clean up easily.

Wedgits

Whenever I find that the kids are in need of some inspiration in their play, I pull out the box of Wedgits. We’ve had these for about 6 years now and have had to buy a larger set and more idea cards because they find them so fun to do! Think of a puzzle but in 3D form.

My oldest son played (and still plays) with these quite a bit, but my middle son just loves them and can do even the most complex challenges by himself. I see that Amazon now carries some knock-off brands since they can be a little hard to find.

Playmobil

We jumped into a large Playmobil set back when our oldest was about 2 (we started with the 1-2-3 series with larger pieces), and it’s still a favorite years later and with all three children!

Now, my older boys are getting into the regular Playmobil sets, which have smaller pieces and more complicated setups. I wish I had these when I was a kid; they are so neat!

I love seeing Playmobil on the list with the other fun toys. My brother and I had them as kids (and LOVED them) 40+ years ago. All of my kids, boys and girls, and my grandsons have loved them. They have encouraged creative play, lived through even the roughest play, and have even helped my niece work through some feelings about a family member’s sudden illness (the ambulance and EMTs).

Shannon, Little House Living reader

Play Food

Play food has been a fun toy for all 3 of my children at all stages of their younger years. We have sets from Melissa and Doug, Green Toys, and Learning Resources.

All types get played with, but if I had to guess which ones get played with the most, I would say the Learning Resources play food because it’s the most realistic.

——–

The toys above have endured at least five years of love by three children and are holding up exceptionally well. All toys are favorites in our household, whereas others have come and gone.

Our children have gotten older toys as gifts over the years that might be shinier or do more things, but they always get tossed aside for these trusty standbys.

Toys with an Honorable Mention

DRIVEN Series

This is a newer addition to my list since this is only something my younger two have had. I say the younger 2…we bought them for my middle son, but our toddler daughter loves to play with them just as much!

We have the truck and trailer set and the dump truck. I found both at Target on sale. They seem well-built and sturdy, and they are huge. They do have Micro Sets, but my children seem to love the big ones!

Tegu Blocks

We like these Tegu blocks, and they’ve been holding up for a long time. My youngest child, in particular, seems to gravitate towards these.

My hangup is that you need quite a few to make something neat and they are pretty expensive. It’s fun to have a smaller set for road trips, though.

Hot Wheels Cars

This would have landed in the category above had all my children shown interest in them; however, not all of them did. Hot Wheels Cars are long-lasting, and the cars are relatively inexpensive. We’ve found that the children who play with them tend to stick with the cars only, not the fancy tracks or other plasticky setups.

These have been fun to play with inside, and they also enjoy taking them outside to race in the dirt.

Legos

Another honorable mention just because the kids haven’t been playing with these for very long yet, but they do seem to enjoy them, and they hold their attention well.

We’ve been sticking with a basic Lego Building Set instead of the various little building sets that are more expensive, and the kids seem to enjoy using their imagination to build whatever they desire.

Legos, playdough, art supplies. Toy animal replica barn and doll houses have been our favorites with our kids, grandkids and now great grandkids. Also matchbox cars.

Pam, Little House Living reader

Dress Up Clothes

Something else that the kids enjoy playing with is dress-up clothing and props. (We’ve found that props actually get more play than the clothing.) They will play with this for a while, but it doesn’t necessarily hold their attention as long as some of the other toys mentioned.

For all the dress-up clothes and props that we currently own, I’ve found them as leftover Halloween costumes or from the thrift store. I would love to get some of the Melissa and Doug Dress-up clothing sets, but they haven’t fit into my budget yet and probably won’t unless the kids play with what we have longer.

Other Things That Kids Can Play With

There are many other things that my children play with, but they aren’t necessarily considered toys. We have our art supplies out on a daily basis, and they love using things like old tissue boxes and toilet paper rolls to invent new things.

The only toys we have for outside play are balls and bikes. Otherwise, they take advantage of sticks, rocks, and anything else they can find when playing and exploring outside.

What to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Toy

Of course, all children will have different interests, and there might be other toys out there that will captivate your kids’ attention even better than those that I’ve listed. When I’m considering buying a new toy to add to our collection, I take it seriously.

We don’t want to add extra clutter to our home, and we don’t want to waste money on something the kids will not play with for long. Here are some things I ask myself that you can use the next time you consider a purchase.

  • Is this toy something they can play with and be creative with, or is it something that thinks for them? (Things that think for a child usually include toys with batteries or a screen.)
  • How will they play with this toy? (This is to give more consideration to the cleanup of the toy than what your child will do with it. Will they need to play with it at the table? Will it require my assistance? Are there crucial pieces that could easily get lost?)
  • What does this toy promote? (For us, if a toy promotes a character or television show, it’s an automatic no. We are looking for a toy that promotes imagination and the creativity of open-ended play.
  • Am I only buying this because I can’t afford the quality (longer-lasting) version? (If you are purchasing out of guilt, i.e., buying a lower quality toy that won’t last as long because you think your child needs that particular toy, reconsider your purchase or consider waiting or saving up to buy the better quality. It’s usually worth it.)

And there you have it. A list of our favorite toys for boys and girls that have proved to be long-lasting and played with often. I hope this list and the questions will help you as you make future decisions about toys to purchase for the children in your life!

If you are looking for toys that you can make, here are some Homemade Gifts for Kids ideas. Also, if you want a holiday or a birthday without any toys at all, I have some thoughts on this post about Talking to Family About Gifts.

What are your favorite, long-lasting toys for boys and girls? Do you have any of the toys on my list?

Me and Kady

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.

This post on the best Long Lasting Toys for Boys and Girls was originally posted on Little House Living in October 2019. It has been updated as of October 2023.

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11 Comments

  1. We have “Baseball Guys” in baseball, soccer, football, and hockey — my kids LOVE them. They get lots of play out of all my kids, ages 4-13.

    Excellent suggestions on this list!

    1. Oh wonderful! We just have the Baseball Guys so far but plan on getting either the soccer or basketball set for Christmas for our oldest. He just loves them!

  2. Legos, playdough, art supplies. Toy animal replica barn and doll houses have been our favorites with our kids, grandkids and now great grandkids. Also matchbox cars.

  3. My grandkids, ages 3 & 2, absolutely love Green Toys products! Everything is simply-constructed with no bells & whistles – literally! The kids have to provide all the sound and imagination. Green Toys makes everything from cars & trucks to a dollhouse, fire station, garage, and farm set. They’re great and very long-lasting!

  4. We also have wooden dominoes. They have no numbers written on them, but the kids love to set them up and then knock them down over and over again. Highly recommend them, coming from a mom of 5

  5. I love your list, it is spot on. As Grandma I have been a hero for Christmas 2017 & 2019 when I gave my two youngest grandkids Magnet tiles. In the past I often gave grandkids toy animals in those tubes. And of course hot wheels. It is wonderful to see young parents who recognize the really great toys. When my daughter asked if we could give more magnet tiles this year because the kids both played with them almost daily I was thrilled. Thanks for sharing these ideas with others.

  6. I love seeing Playmobil on the list with the other fun toys. My brother and I had them as kids (and LOVED them) 40+ years ago. All of my kids, boys and girls, and my grandsons have loved them. They have encouraged creative play, lived through even the roughest play, and have even helped my niece work through some feelings about a family member’s sudden illness (the ambulance and EMTs).

  7. Great list, excellent article!

    Here is my list (in a chronological order): building blocks, toy animals, dinos, Disney characters, jigsaw puzzles, Lego, Hot Wheels cars, board games, chess, 3D puzzles, military toys and cars, kites, Nerf guns … then … Nothing!

    At about nine and a half years of age, my son got from school the worst viruses in human history: the computer and telephone games (and social media apps!). Since then, all the toys became obsolete; I’ve put the cars in boxes, out of sight, and he didn’t even noticed!
    Every day has to be a Fortnite day, sometimes Brawl Stars, Minecraft.
    Always online with his classmates and friends (old and new!, domestic and foreign!). It is like a second life, a better one, where he is in control of his deeds, not the parents.

    Is this the future? What should we expect?

    All the best to every one of you!

  8. Our kids love Playmobil, Legos, and Schleich animals! My daughter also loves Calico Critters. They are expensive brands but quality!! It’s better to spend money on a few high quality toys than amass myriads of cheap toys that break and wear out. We also have a strict “no noisy toys” rule in our home… you know, the singing, battery operated toys that drive you nuts! As a mom it protects my sanity and the peace in our home, and also helps to grow the kids imaginations rather than stunting them. It also is a safety issue, since it means fewer batteries within the kids reach.