I would have labelled this post “Gavin’s Wish List” but let’s face it, it’s more like Mummy’s Wish List…  Inevitably, as I take Gavin on our shopping excursions, I often end up seeing a lot of toys I would love to buy.  Since I need to inculcate the difference between desiring a toy and needing it, I must refrain from buying everything that I see that I would love for Gavin to own.

So even though these 8 toys have made it onto my current toy wish list for Gavin, it is with great difficulty that I narrow down what he can have and what he can’t.  But if I were a kid all over again, I’m sure these are the toys my dreams were made of:

1. Outdoor Play Equipment.

I’ve always wanted to get outdoor play equipment for Gavin.  Most of the outdoor sets are the standard, multi-colour plastic ones you see at Toys ‘R’ Us like the one below so you have to admit that the jungle gym in the picture above is just too cool, no?

2. Activity Box

My SIL2 who used to work in early childhood education was telling me that the activity at the top of this box is great for training finger dexterity which helps kids learn how to hold a pencil and write later on.  While looking for a toy with that activity, I discovered this activity box with an abacus, shape sorter, pattern matcher and a puzzle. 

I figured this was better value and more fun so I got one like this instead (yeah, since creating this list of toys, I bought the toy, so perhaps this doesn’t really belong on this most wanted list after all).  Gavin really enjoys playing with it (I figured he would since he really enjoyed playing with it whenever he sees it in the play area of the baby shops), although I think his favourite section is still the shape sorter. 

3. Musical Thomas The Tank Engine Toy

Gavin really loves the music to Thomas and Friends and he also loves inserted the discs into the DVD player so I figured he would really enjoy a toy like this.  The only thing is that I’ve only seen it once before but I can’t remember where.  I found it online but have yet to come across it again in the stores.

4. Signing Time DVDs 

I started Gavin with Baby Signing Time Volume 1 DVD and Baby Signing Time Volume 2 DVD and he really loved it.  He also started signing late in his first year.  Encouraged, I bought Signing Time Volume 4: Family, Feelings & Fun DVD, Volume 5: ABC Signs DVD and Series Two Volume 3: Move and Groove.  It took him a while to warm up to the Signing Time series but now he really loves it.  Aside from adding signs to his repertoire, he’s also added words.  He likes to sing along to some of the songs he hears from the DVDs - well, he tries to anyway - and he likes it when I sing the songs for him.

5. Thomas & Friends Ride Along with Thomas - Steering Wheel Sound - Board book

I took Gavin to Kinokuniya one evening while we were waiting for food to arrive and he picked up this book.  He was really captivated by it, but I didn’t buy it at the time.  Thinking it would be a good book to entertain him in the car, I later went searching for it.  Luckily I didn’t buy it when I saw it because it cost RM65 in Kinokuniya and RM59 in Isetan. 

This was a really good buy because Gavin adores this book.  In fact, I think he likes it too much.  He enjoys it so much he doesn’t want to get out of the car without it!  When he gets back into the car, he starts signing train and book to tell us he wants this book.  He’s even learned how to say “book” because of this book, except it sounds more like “boo”.  The only reason I know he means this book is because he signs “train” and “book” to tell me he wants this.

6. Thomas the Tank Engine Draw ’N’ Doodle Mat - Aquadoodle - Spin Master

I came across this one when I was searching online for some Thomas toys.  I haven’t seen it in action but I thought it was way cool.  I would have bought it just for the Aquadoodle part if only Gavin didn’t already have a Doodle pad which he got from his godparents.  I even found an aquadoodble in Isetan for RM50 (see picture below), but I couldn’t justify buying it since Gavin already had crayons and the Doodle pad which have the exact same purpose.

The really cool thing about the Thomas Aquadoodle is that it comes with a Thomas train that will follow the railway tracks you draw on the Aquadoodle.  Now that’s really cool…  

7. Rubik’s Mini Cube 2×2

As a child, I have always enjoyed puzzles and I learned how to solve the Rubik’s 3×3.  So when I saw that they had a Rubik’s 2×2, I thought it would be a great toy to get Gavin to help him develop his problem solving skills.  Okay, okay, so he’s a little young for this one right now, but the cube will help him develop his motor skills as he learns how to manipulate the cube.

8. LEGO Duplo Thomas & Friends - Thomas Load and Carry Train Set

Gavin’s got a duplo set that he really loves playing with and he also really likes Thomas.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he’s going to really love this Thomas Duplo set.  My SIL was the one who put me onto this one when she told me she saw a set in Australia.  I haven’t seen it around in Malaysia yet, but I have seen a Bob the Builder Duplo set which I am sure Gavin would like too since he is also a Bob the Builder fan (albeit he still prefers Thomas).

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