Too many toys

I remember my mil saying to me that she couldn't just buy one thing o my DS at Christmas. To which my reply was that one thing that he really wanted was better than lots of stuff that he didn't!!
She took no notice and the contents of a small toyshop would arrive every birthday or Xmas. Whereas my family would ask and get what I asked the to - probably one modest procedure thing. Did it make any difference to how he felt about them...not a jot.

ours have far too many toys so we buy experiences like a trip to the theatre, year pass for the zoo etc

My dc had far more toys than my gc have now, I guess because we were making up for a lack of money when we were young. Looking back though I never felt that I would like more toys and always appreciated the ones I had. I’d probably do things differently with dc if I could go back. We always ask gc’s parents before we buy, don’t go overboard and accept that some will be decluttered before the year is up, and those are chosen by the gc.

We have gone down the second hand route for toys and clothes for the grandchildren. Their parents approve greatly as they're all concerned about environmental issues.
We have had some lovely toys and clothes and it's saved a fortune.
If the toy isn't loved then it's easier to resell / recycle .
Expensive toys often get held on to just because they did cost a lot .

By me !!!

Yes far too many but lots bought for me

Good rant

I suspect that as long as life expectancy has been long enough for people to actually see their grandchildren, grandparents and great aunts and uncles have voiced the complaint that children these days have too many toys and clothes..

I know the elder generation of my family said this when I was little.

If toys lie around unplayed with, it is not necessarily because the child has too many other toys. It might just as well be because some loving adult bought the child what he or she thought the child would like, or what he or she would have liked but never had as a child, rather than what the child wanted!

These kind grown-ups persistantly gave me colouring books and paint boxes although I never was interested in colouring, drawing or painting. Then they wondered why I didn't play with the things they had given me!

Some of them even gave me a book I ALREADY HAD, rather than the one that I had mentioned on a wishing list. One aunt even gave me Grimm's Fairy Tales twice, although my mother had mentioned that they were not at all to either my or my sister's taste.

Rant over.

Children need appropriate toys, not necessarily educational ones, but ones that encourage their interests, imagination and are fun
Children don't go out and buy toys, it's a parent's responsibility to make sure they have ones that will be played with, it's good if grandparents give money to go towards swings, bikes and adding to construction toys or suchlike, an instrument or dancing lessons and help older children learn to sew or knit, do woodwork or gardening or do other crafts, if that interests the children,

Part of the problem from the previous post I think. Too many toys not enough educational encouragement. Not enough proper interaction. Not accusing the OP or her grandchildren just a general fact. Same thing happened to me about 5 years ago. Took us two whole days to clear out the "spare" room so my granddaughters could have a room each.

Back in the day when I had contact with my 3gk my son sorted their huge amount of playthings into boxes then stored them high on shelves out of reach Nd rotated them when he noticed them getting bored and stuff being discarded.i bought a junior magazine sub fro my GS aged 7 at the time of AQUILA but I'm not sure he actually got it or if son and nasty partner binned them! Anyways I think subs. Are a great way to gift, they can be educational and for little ones twinkle and others available are great. I remember my Look and Learn mags and annuals well, I just loved them and learned so very much, in fact more than I did at my private posh but useless prep school!!! Our little neighbour gets a tenner for his piggy bank from us for birthdays and Christmas he's nearly 2!! (granpa is a retired banker so I'm certain he'll have one!!) Toys should be for parents to buy and nobody else in my view.

Yes, too many toys, too much technology, too many clothes and too much junk food.

I think my GD accumulated lots of stuff after birthday parties. Invite a dozen children and there are a dozen boxes of presents most of which are never touched and eventually go to the charity shop. Such a shame but who would let their child show up without a present?

I'm not being a know all because I know we like giving our DGCs presents but we pay for ours to do an activity like forest school or a dance class for Xmas and birthday presents. That seems to work well and I do remind their parents from time to time to let them know the club whatever is from us .

My DIL gives me good condition outgrown toys and games to sell on FB or Eb. The money goes into DGCs savings account and it gives me an interest now I'm retired

Too much of everything really, but that's capitalism for you. If things weren't in the shops or online, they couldn't be bought. In terms of toys, I believe they're as valuable as books in stimulating imagination and in providing counsellors and psychotherapists observing children' play with useful insights into developing personalities/insecurities etc.

My sons give them to charity or sell when outgrown toys. Yes we didn’t have some many as kids but unfortunately nowadays kids don’t know how well off their are. But I’m guilty for overbuying them too. Specially with covid hit. Couldn’t see them so got toys etc sent. But when my youngest grandson was born I born him some sketchers and have done for last few years. Daughter inlaw liked that can go into washer machine and come out looking new. So follow year she asked me to get them again if I didn’t mind. So I have done ever since. For his birthday which is Jan 1st. Other grandkids get pjs etc.

My grandchildren have vast quantities of toys I have to admit. Perhaps now would be the time to get each child to donate a few things for the poor Ukranian children?

What I can't understand is the huge number of soft toys, particularly the bigger ones. They don't really play with most of them, though I know some children play more imaginatively with dolls.
We have a lot of Orchard Toys games at our house, the three year old particularly enjoys playing with them, but I keep them here as I know that they'd get mixed up and lost at their house.
I wish toy manufacturers would sell games in sturdy plastic boxes, even the stronger cardboard ends up falling apart so bits get lost.
I bought a lovely little wooden garage for the three year old at Christmas, it's small enough to store easily and has a carrying handle. There are no plastic parts to break and the little toy cars store safely inside.
I don't think this is a new problem though. I had four children, three years between each, so they were never at ages when they would share toys - hence quite a few toys for each.
When I was a child my mother used to have regular clear-outs to keep the quantities down and I remember being very upset when I found my rabbit soft toy at a local bring and buy.

Children love loose parts such as large cardboard boxes, den making and imaginative play. Smaller stuff like sticks, shells, cones, pebbles to create with are also great inside or out when adapted to the developmental phase of the child.
Rather than presents try experiences and opportunities.

Yes my grandchildren are given /acquire too many toys! My daughter is very organised, she keeps all the bits together so they are all ready to be played with and regularly has clear outs which go to friends with younger children or to the charity shop. So she doesn’t get too overwhelmed! I ask for suggestions as to what to buy or give money to put towards a larger item, such as last years super duper trampoline for the garden. I also buy clothes along with a smaller toy. This year for Easter all four of them are getting new sweatshirts rather than Easter eggs (again, they get too many!) or a small toy. I keep toys at my house for them and have just bought yet ANOTHER play kitchen for my youngest granddaughter as I did for the others as those were played with inside and out to the point of destruction! I have found, and so has my daughter, that being a little more discriminating can also help to keep the clutter down.

I solve that problem by giving intangible gifts such as dance lessons or passes to Virtual Reality and the like.

Some years ago, as a family, we set some rules for birthday and Christmas gifts - NO plastic tat and a strict budget. The budget was necessary because one particular relative always spent more than anyone else and made sure everyone knew.

Parents are always consulted in advance and now the GC are older more often than not it is money instead of toys. Two of the GC are musically gifted and instruments aren't cheap, it's a lovely feeling hearing them play something that we've contributed to.

All the parents regularly sort through the toys, those that are in good condition/complete/still in boxes are donated to a women's refuge or another charity locally. I know they plan to sort through the soft toys for the Ukraine refugee appeal this weekend.

We all have too much stuff, which is why the world is in the state it is in.

We have always taken direction from DS &DDiL as to what to buy for birthdays and Christmas and they generally asked us not to buy toys, and generally we haven't.

Their big problem is that they had children quite late and have a social group which is mainly childless or with grown-up children, so their children have been 'adopted' by the whole group, who shower them with presents at Christmas and birthdays

However, now both are at secondary school, this flow is easing off - a little -