Re: Presents for toddlers.

[Bob Eager]

The other 'must' is lots of indelible felt pens.

[Bob Eager]

We suffered a lot from presents from sister-in-law to our two.

She has somewhat unexpectedly had a baby...revenge in a year or three!

[Bob Eager]

I hear they're re-launching the Stylophone.....

[Penny Gaines]

Juxtapositioned wrote in :

It does seem a bit potty. We put a few holes in the bottom, using a hole punch.

[Penny Gaines]

Christian McArdle wrote in :

When we were in Brio mode, we used to find that most compatibles were compatable with Brio itself, but not with other compatables. Unfortunately for us, the Thomas-the-Tank-Engine trains of the time, were not from Brio, so they kept getting stuck in tunnels - and not just James.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Two guess come to mind...

NiCd's can deliver enough current to start a fire when shorted out (possibly if toy was broken). Many years ago in the days of pagers before mobile phones existed, someone I knew walked into something. Some seconds later, he ended up with a burned leg where the crushed pager was trying to set light to his trousers.

NiCd's have nasty chemicals. You probably don't want to be eating any batteries, but I would imaging NiCd's could be particularly nasty.

[mike ring]

Juxtapositioned wrote in news: [e-mail]:

. The packaging

My guess might be that rechargeables can turn nasty if shorted, overheat, they say possibly explode, due to the low internal resistance; and who knows what a toddler mught do.

I know this is true, found it out by putting a rechargeable 9V in trouser pocket with a bunch of keys - got burnt.

mike r

if I had a brain I'd be dangerous

[Velvet]

You're not the only one who's found out battery plus keys OR change in pocket leads to odd, then painful, sensations...

Velvet

[Dave Liquorice]

No problem with the drum ours have, ELC jobbie and a decent tone. Of course the other thing about a drum is they have to wave their arms about and they get tired...

A trumpet (with a reed, I don't think a toddler could manage a real trumpet) just needs to be placed in the mouth and normal breathing does the rest and being a reed won't sound nice.

[Graeme]

In message , Juxtapositioned writes

This site is wonderful :

day, I'll actually try some of his ideas. Possibly :-) He does seem to have quite a range of power tools, though.

[Dave Liquorice]

We have a "James the Red Engine" though it's not really a James. This has a Brio badge and is likewise pretty powerful, it will pull a good

18 or so wagons, carriages and other engines on the level and have a damn good try over bridges as well.

Got some of ELCs that is a bit stiff, maybe two or three peices, keep forgeting to get the sandpaper out.

Ah that depends what your trying to do. A simple passing loop or two tracks with platforms works better with the Y's rather than points. Points are better for general loops and layouts. Play with the Brio? Who me?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Anything recommended by UK.D-I-Y's own toddler - IMM - will be perfect.

I think his last recommendation was the 'Bumper book of How Things Work'.

[Suz]

: >3) A wooden railway-track like thing, which would presumably : >be easy to make out of beech. How to cut the jigsaw-like : >connecters between sections, though?? Some wheeled things to : >push around the track. : >

: Brio railway? Tesco do a much cheaper version of this (and it's : compatible with Brio). : -- : Tim Mitchell : with 2 toddlers.

I bought the Tesco one and think it's great value. However my kids were 18 months and 3 yrs then and they didn't play with it until this year - 3 and 4.5 when they started. The older one plans out the track, which a toddler isn't great at, and the younger pushes stuff round it. OK pressie if you do the setup for the toddler. Got a few years in it.

[Suz]

: The other 'must' is lots of indelible felt pens. :

Or washable pens. Washable? Hah!

[James Hart]

Pens and children, a wonderful mix.

[Andy Hall]

makes this picture..... :-)

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Tim Mitchell]

sister being mauled by big sister, yours was much worse than ours!

[Bob Smith]

I have seen Thomas Tank Engine ones in ELC. An engine is about £20, or £25 if it has a tender. Non powered engines are £10, or £15 with a tender. The battery powered one we have is die cast metal.

Bob

[Bob Smith]

All batteries have nasty chemicals. A battery is basically a nasty chemical between 2 different metal plates.

NiCds are worse for the environment than NiMh, and disposable ones are worse than NiCd because of the number of them you will use.

Bob

[Bob Smith]

Toys for toddlers have a screw down battery compartments to stop them getting in.

I also don't let the kids see me change the batteries.

Bob