I have the conflicting personality of being both incredibly sentimental and a newly minted minimalist. Obviously it’s super hard to be both, so I’ve just decided I’m going to be super intentional with the things I do decide to keep. While we try to keep only things that we currently use and love, I have one exception. Toys that we plan to keep for our future grand kids. It seems ridiculous, especially when our oldest is only 8, but I promise there’s a method to what toys to keep for grandchildren. Let’s look at this a little deeper.
Related: Minimalist With 4 Kids; A List of Every Toy We Kept!
Related: How to Test Drive Minimalism!
Why Keep Toys for Future Grandchildren
The reason I do it is because I have toys from my childhood that my kids still play with.
Plus one rocking horse that my beloved Pappap actually bought for my mom when she was a kid.
That thing will be with us until it falls apart and then I’ll probably still keep it in pieces.
Here’s the other thing, at the risk of sounding like an old lady…
They just don’t make toys like they used to.
Have you purchased a board game recently?
It’s actually pathetic how poorly made these things are.
We’ll dive into this deeper in a minute, but I have a Trouble game from when I was little.
The quality difference is extreme. That’s why the one from my childhood has lasted for two generations so far.
Board Games
I have a few classic games like a Trouble Game, a Scrabble Game, and a Monopoly game from when I was a kid.
My kids play with each of them and they have lasted through my four older kids so far.
I plan to pass them onto my kids to give to their own kids when they’re old enough.
I also have a few decks of cards and an Uno card game.
While you can totally still buy these, why?
If you have them and they’re in good condition, why get rid of them?
Believe me, I am normally a huge fan of decluttering outgrown toys and games.
There are just a few things over the years that I have been thankful that we decided to keep.
Older toys in excellent condition are worth way more to me than random toys in toy stores that will be broken by the end of the year.
Decent toys, in my humble opinion, are a worthwhile investment.
Lincoln Logs
I still remember the day I got my Lincoln Logs.
We bought them at the Quality Farm and Fleet in Wheeling, WV.
I’ve always had a thing for log homes, and that passion has followed me into adulthood.
As I write this, my 8 year old son is building an A-frame log cabin out of Legos in the next room.
He started building with my hand-me-down Lincoln Logs that our 4 and 5 year old daughters now play with.
I have since added onto my Lincoln Log collection when I come across them at yard sales.
Now the set is complete with fences, barn doors, and a few Schleich animals.
In fact, that’s a great tip. If you’re looking for quality toys, don’t pass up the next garage or yard sale you see.
They’re a great way to find good, sturdy children’s toys that will last your children plus another generation or two.
Matchbox Cars
As a kid, my favorite thing to do was make “traffic jams” around the house with my Matchbox cars.
Now, my kids still play with the same exact ones I played with as a kid.
They hold up so much better than knockoff ones do.
The best part about these is they don’t take up too much space while you wait around for the next generation to be born to enjoy them.
Old Dolls For Dollhouses and Accessories
Full disclosure, we don’t have these from when I was a kid.
Instead, I bought some off of Facebook Marketplace from a lady in North Carolina that had played with them in the 70s.
Before I went to pick them up, the lady said she was decluttering and painfully decided to get rid of them, but thought I’d really enjoy going through the items.
I didn’t give them to my girls for a long time because I thought they were too little.
Even so, I’d pull them out every now and then and just look at the detail and just appreciate how lucky we are to have them.
Now, my daughters are 4 and 5 and since these are such good quality, they are old enough to play with them.
My daughters both play with these dolls and their furniture with their Kidkraft dollhouse that I bought off of Facebook Marketplace.
Hours and hours we have spent playing with these things and they hold up amazingly well.
Melissa and Doug Toys
When I am shopping for toys for birthday and Christmas gifts, I always look for this brand.
They are an affordable investment that haven’t let us down yet.
Wooden toys and anything geared toward Montessori are my absolute favorite, but Melissa and Doug always hold up.
We have their wooden blocks and tons of baby toys.
These are my favorites that have been through all five of my kids so far:
- Melissa and Doug Cookies
- Pizza Set (okay all the food. We also have the sushi set, cutting fruit set, and several others)
- Safari Truck (full disclosure, this was another marketplace purchase)
Legos
The amount of money we have tied up in Legos has absolutely surpassed $1000 at this point.
As a frugal mom, this kill me, but as a homeschooling mom – I secretly love it.
I just wish these were easier to find as hand-me-downs in set form.
My oldest son adores Legos and is constantly begging for more sets.
I have watched him struggle and persevere through building countless sets.
My husband used to disagree with me, but I highly recommend keeping the manuals that come with these.
Yes, maybe you will be able to access them online forever.
But there is nothing like sitting down and digging through a massive bin of Legos and conquering one treasure hunt after the next as you build an old set from a paper manual.
I really wish we had more of these from my husband’s childhood collection.
Instead, I’ll make sure my sons’ have these to pass on to their kids.
Favorite Books
One of my most prized possessions is a small collection of books that my Pappap got as an award for perfect attendance when he was in elementary school.
He died in 2020 at age 96.
These books and their aged pages are so beautiful and have notes handwritten inside from his teacher.
Four of my kids were lucky enough to meet and love him.
My fifth baby is named after him.
I hope they grow up to appreciate his heirlooms as much as I do.
There are a few picture books from my kids’ childhoods that I’m keeping simply because they have all loved them so much.
Right now, we’re reading the Little Blue Truck series with our 9 month old and our 4 year old still loves them.
When they are done with them, we’ll pack them away to be passed on one day.
I have fond memories of reading these same books to our 8 year old when he was tiny.
I hope my grand kids get even more use out of them one day.
Stuffed Animal Collection
This one I think comes down to sentimental value and collections.
I have collected Boyd’s Bears since I was a kid.
I have dozens of the resin figurines and lots of the plush stuffed animals as well.
They have stored beautifully in plastic totes for years, even in our Florida garage conditions.
If my kids want them for themselves one day – great.
If not, they should be worth the pain of selling them on eBay.
New Toys
Our minimalist ways greatly influence the new toys I purchase now.
I have a few ground rules for every new toy purchase – will they love it? Is it Montessori? Is it a quality toy?
For example, our second son got a wooden train set for Christmas when he was just three years old.
As a little boy he played with it for hours on end.
We recently pulled it out again to see if our girls would be interested in it.
To my surprise, our now 7 year old dragged them into the living room and played with them for over an hour.
Our 5 year old daughter adores all things art and creativity, so I try to buy her quality craft supplies that will hold up.
I’d rather buy a few quality paint brushes and a decent easel instead of Dollar Tree things that I’ll need to constantly replace.
I still go through our toy collection on a regular basis and get rid of anything that is broken or missing pieces. But there are just a few special things that have stood the test of time that I think my kids will be able to give to their own children one day. I would caution you to not keep lots of toys or to use this sentimental excuse as a crutch to keep more than you should. BUT a few great investment gifts that are sturdy and good quality might just be your grand kids’ favorite toys one day!
