What is the toy your child has that has proved best value for money

prettypennies

It would have to be their army men (the cheapy plastics ones like the bucket o soldiers in toy story) cheap as chips and still keep them entertained for hours, especially when combined with a few lego or block buildings.

Their ELC dinosaurs have been used alot over the years and DS1 loves Monopoly (which I hate playing with him because he always cheats :rotfl:)

And more recently, I hate to admit it, but their XBOX 360

Owain_Moneysaver

I had:

Lego (not Duplo) - some new and lots second-hand from an 'auntie' who got several huge boxes from a church sale. Had a lego train but not much track (and father stood on the signal and broke it; no I have not forgiven him). The battery box and light bricks gave me an early introduction to electricity. Quite liked Technical Lego, which was new then (beams and gear wheels).
Bilofix - again a mix of new/secondhand
Some Tinker but not so much.

All of which got pretty good use, Lego up to about age 13. Bilofix was more a younger toy.

Younger things - Brio type train was pretty good. Had weeks of fun with the big boxes the dining chairs came in, set up in the hall as a tunnel/den. Blackboard and chalk, I don't expect that's so popular now because of the dust, but it must have saved a fortune on drawing paper. Little metal trike, rode that till it fell to bits depositinig me in the shrubbery.

I remember Fuzzy Felts too.

Plasticene but it always turned that peculiar shade of brown when it got mixed together.

Shoeboxes, I always wanted the box new shoes came in, every Easter/October.

Drawing things, Spirograph and Etch-a-Sketch.

Bit of a dead loss: chemistry set. And I did not enjoy Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories.

mich13x

Although it was a little on the expensive side my best buy for my son has been the fisher price rainforest jumperoo. Its the only thing that amuses him long enough for me to have some dinner or a tidy up :j

milliebear00001

Duplo - better than Lego for smaller ones and harder to lose pieces. Mine both still love it, even though older one is nearly 7.

Magnext. I was very dubious about this - magnetic stick things and ball bearings to join. but it is FAB and my two both love it, but especially the three year old (boy) who will sit for ages making 'creations'! I have been amazed at the things he's built with it - excellent for spatial skills.

Micro scooters. I bought the toddler one for my youngest who still loves it now - totally stable, even for tinies (two wheels at the front rather than the back). I bought my older one an older Micro when she managed to break three cheap scooters in six months. This one is still going strong and is much stronger. Both well worth the extra money.