Hailey’s 4th birthday is next week (!!!) and though I am in disbelief that it’s happening, life is too busy for me to be dwelling on it. Instead, I’m busy planning a (low key) birthday party and trying to figure out how to make a requested princess-shaped cake.
Spoiler alert: it might just be pink.
Third birthday flashback.
The upcoming festivities have me thinking about some of the toys Hailey has received over the years that surprised me as they turned into her favorites. If you have any celebrations for children under four years old coming up, hopefully these will give you some ideas!
1. My Very Own House Cottage ($42.99) – Hailey received this for her third birthday and immediately took to it. We have it set up in our playroom and though it’s now (a year later) covered in scribble and slightly leaning at an angle, the girls still play in it daily so I don’t have the heart to throw it out.
2. Minnie Mouse Bowtique: Minnie’s Flower Garden ($9.59) – Hailey received this from our sweet friend Jane Marie and I thought it was super cute. Still, I had no idea how much Hailey would treasure it! She kept it in her bed forever and changed her from her dress to her pajamas (what she called them) on a daily basis. The shoes and dresses snap on and off easily. She lost the shoes recently though (after removing them as Minnie walked in the house, of course) and I just discovered they have a whole collection of snap on Minnie Accessories that I might have to get her at some point. It would blow her mind!
3. Melissa and Doug Grocery Cart ($56.99) – This thing has been the toy that keeps on giving! It has a solid, sturdy build and has held up just fine to years of play. My only issue is that occasionally the girls fight over who gets it, as it’s a toy Hailey (almost 4) still loves as much as Kaitlyn (15 months). A great gift for girls or boys, as little boys we have visit go crazy over it too!
4. Fisher Price Learning Home ($130.99) – File this one under who knew?! We received this as a hand me down. It was well loved, missing almost all the stickers and looking pretty beat up. We scrubbed it down and figured it would do fine in the play room. Fast forward 3 years later and it’s still a hit! Let me tell you, this toy is a door. A DOOR. I would never have guessed how much both girls would love playing with it, but they do. Highly recommended.
5. Recordable Storybooks ($29.95) – (The Night Before Christmas is currently on sale for $9.98!) My mom did two of these for Hailey a couple of years ago. As a toddler she didn’t get it of course, but liked to hear Nana’s voice as she turned the pages. Now Hailey keeps these in her bed and will read through them on her own. She even had me read one the other day and repeat the words after Nana had read them. A super cute keepsake!
BONUS! Old cell phones. For some reason David and I keep our old phones in a drawer. Both girls go daily to said drawer and grab an old phone to play with alllllll day long. They don’t make noise, turn on or anything. They are little rectangles of black plastic but for some reason they are favorites around here as both girls hold them to their ears and walk around babbling on them. Like mother/father like daughters I suppose!
What are the biggest toy hits at your house?
Have any of them taken you by surprise?
John J. says
New Corvette. Still a kid (“Boys need their toys”!)
Megan T says
What about a cake with a Barbie stuck in it? The cake could still be pink since it’s basically barbie’s skirt
Christine says
I just gave my 10 month old my old cell phone,he loves it! And I also made him a toy yesterday – A water bottle with popcorn seeds in it…he went crazy for it! The “real toy” that he loves is the playskool poppin park elephant! He loves to turn it on by pressing its red ball and dancing to the music it plays.
Its funny, we were at a friends house Saturday and she had a shopping cart…my 10 month old loved it. Guess who’s getting a shopping cart for his birthday? 🙂
http://www.toysrus.com/buy/playskool-sesame-street-toys/playskool-poppin-park-elefun-busy-ball-popper-blue-31943-11514413
Morgan says
Here’s a princess cake tutorial
https://youtu.be/vwqaF8f3VW0
Rajul | Charlotte Veggie says
My children are 10 and 6 and STILL play with that shopping cart! One of our favorite toys ever too!
Heather says
I have a feeling some of the toys we’ll have for a long time are the play kitchen (especially a little tea set we have), blocks – one of the most versatile toys, and balls… any balls. These kids love balls of all shapes and sizes. Oh right, and bubbles. 😉
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Aw, my son would love that house! 🙂 We have all these toys, yet my son prefers to play with (1) the vacuum cleaner and (2) an old broom. LOL! Happy (early) bday Hailey!
Katherine says
Those Minnie’s are my daughter’s favorite! She got birthday Minnie for her second birthday and has since gotten three more and a Daisy…yes we have way too many. Her birthday is Sunday and guess what grandma sent…Minnie car and Minnie scooter. It’s a Minnie explosion in our house but it’s hands down one of her favorites.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
She’s getting so big so fast! Life must be so full for you! <3
Michele says
Check your local library – I know mine actual has cake pans you can borrow.
My girls are 7 and 8 and they still play school every day.
Natalie @ The Ravenous Mommy says
That is a nice shopping cart! ours is so flimsy, but Wyatt loves it.
I’m just surprised by how much Wyatt loves cars! He spends half his time at home rolling them around, I don’t understand how it doesn’t get old, haha
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
On a whim months ago we went to Toys R Us with my dad to get a few toys for us to keep at his house and we bought that house thing because it was on sale – Now when Ryan gets into my dad’s he RUNS to where my dad keeps in (my old room) and starts dancing when he sees it. I love that it’s got things for all ages to enjoy – when Ryan was teeny, he liked pressing the buttons and opening the door, and now he likes to put the balls in the “gutter” and the blocks in to their shapes.
Roya says
My 3-year old lives my old cell phone! Here’s an idea for a princess cake:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/57209857741424559/
Lisa says
We have the same door – it has been a hit since we put it together when our son started crawling. He is 15 months now and it has not lost its luster at all. He loves it. Favorite part is the itsy bitsy spider that comes on when you put the ball down the water spout!