The Savvy Five: Our Favourite Toys

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”
If you don’t consider yourself to be open-minded, don’t blame your mom (that’s just mean). Make sure your kids are though, by picking out some ‘open ended’ toys that will help nurture their imagination. Open-ended toys are powered by a child’s imagination (not batteries) and the ways of playing with them are endless.

Here’s a round up of our top five picks to help you narrow your search (and maybe help with your holiday list too).

Bilibo
Why It Made the List: It’s the perfect example of an open ended toy because it can be anything a kid wants it to be. At first glance the bilibo is a roly-poly seat, a turtle shell, a hat, an awesome hide-and-seek spot or a doll’s bed (just to name a few). It can even be used in the snow. The beautiful part? There is no right way or wrong way to play with this toy—it’s up to the child to decide. ($34.95, Age 2+)

Green Toys Recycling Truck
Why It Made the List: It’s a lean green fighting machine. This multi purpose toy is fun for kids ages 3 and up (including parents). It’s a truck, it’s a lesson in recycling, it’s an example to us all. The cardboard box it comes in (also recycled, naturally) sports images of bottles, cans and paper that parents can cut out for kids to sort and load into the truck’s slots, then cart away and dump in the nearest bin. Made of recycled milk bottles, this toy brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, ‘it is what it is’. ($29.95, Age 3+)