I currently have six children ages 0-12. Over the years, I've noticed that some toys have stood the test of time, not necessarily because they are high quality and last forever (though that is important too) but they have grown with my kids and kept their interest over many years. Many toys have a very short life span (a lot of baby and toddler toys fit into this category - they really only work during one short developmental stage) but toys that encourage creativity and open-ended play can work in many different ages and stages. There are several toys in my house that are currently used and loved by at least three out of five of my walking children (ages 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12). These toys make great family gifts and will last you a long time.
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Kinetic Sand - Sand play is incredibly calming (used by a lot of therapists for children and adults!) and creative and the feel of this is so awesome. Definitely an activity that parents can get into too (we do!). We also have the sand toys set and suggest bins like this one to keep your sand in. We have two of these boxes with kinetic sand that I keep in the kitchen pantry for the kids to play with while I am cooking, etc.Teeter Popper - this is really loved by all our kids, especially the ones who need more sensory input/are more wiggle worms. Our toddlers have liked laying on it and rocking, bigger kids stand and balance. Adults who come to our house always want to try it too. (It's harder to balance than it looks!)
Magnetic Building Blocks/Tiles (Magna-Tiles, etc., the brand we own and like is Picasso Tiles) - I sometimes find myself playing with these when I am supposed to be cleaning them up. They are a favorite with all my kids and keep them entertained for long periods of time. They are often played with as part of other play (for example making pens for stuffed animals or a bed for baby dolls). When we do "special time" (15 minutes one-on-one with a child where they get to completely choose and lead the activity) all of my children usually choose to build with magnetic tiles. No small parts to worry about with younger siblings either! These can be quite an investment and having a large number of different shaped tiles really enhances play, but you can build up slowly - for example, we get a new set as a family present for our kids for different holidays to add to our current collection.
Magnetic Doodle Board - We have the Fisher-Price Doodle Pro Slim and it is almost constantly in use by one child or another. It might seem babyish for older kids but my eight-year-old probably uses it more than her younger siblings. It can be used for games like pictionary or just creative drawing. It's great for keeping a child busy while listening to read alouds (or praying the rosary) too. And it can easily be brought in the car for traveling entertainment.
Story Cubes - Our Story Cubes are used contantly. Toddlers ask to roll the dice and have parents or other siblings make up stories to tell them. Older siblings use them to write stories (a great educational tool!) but they are most often just taken off the shelf and the kids dare each other to make up stories with them.
Nugget couches - We don't actually have any of the "Nugget" brand, but we do have two play couches of other brands and they are by far the #1 most played with items in our home. They make forts, are match for "gymnastic shows", beds for kids when cousins have sleepovers, have made a cool reading couch for my pre-teen, etc. We got one for Christmas one year, and another the next year and I do think play is enhanced by having two. They are expensive and take up room but they can take the place of a ton of other toys.
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