Holiday shoppers may want to pause before filling their carts with some of the season’s most requested toys.
While parents feel pressure to grant their kid’s every wish, even when they suspect a gift won’t last, they should try choosing quieter options.
Here are seven favorite holiday picks that may not be worth buying for your kids.
1. Slime and Glitter
Slime can be one of the hardest substances to clean up. It can often end up on carpets, rugs and couches despite parents’ best efforts. Glitter also comes close. Whether loose, in a set or in a craft kit, it can create a mess. Parents can opt for alternatives such as modeling clay, Play-Doh or homemade salt dough.
2. Stuffed Animals
Plush toys multiply around birthdays and holidays and most children need only a few favorites. For a comfort item, a puzzle or sticker book featuring your child’s favorite animal is another good option.
3. Toy Guns
Some parents object to gun play, while others worry about safety. Even with required orange tips, some replicas look strikingly real and projectiles can injure eyes. Toy wands, water balloons and squeeze poppers are some gentler versions of chase-and-shoot play.
4. Musical Instruments and Toy Microphones
Drums, tambourines, kazoos and shakers add to the noise parents already live with. Play scarves or wooden sand blocks for young children can be good. If a toy microphone is unavoidable, choose one with a working volume control.
5. Cheap Inflatable Toys
Cheap inflatable toys can be lightweight. While they are air-filled play items made from flexible PVC or vinyl plastic, these toys are also prone to holes and they can still hurt when swung at a younger sibling.
Punching bags, swords and guitars can make a good alternative.
6. Flimsy Fort-Building Kits
Parents also tend to come with too few pieces to build forts big enough for a child’s plans. They can get play tents, hanging pods, bed tents or a Nugget-style couch instead.
7. Ride-On Toys
Ride-on toys require plenty of floor space and storage, unless a family has room to spare. A scooter or bike is a better commitment.
