Among our toys, some get played with for a moment and discarded, some never get a second look, and some are taken out and played with on a daily basis. I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of the toys Drake had when he was Juliet’s age that still interest him (as well as Juliet), and Juliet’s newer toys that Drake also seems to enjoy playing with.


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1) Around We Go – I blogged about this beloved toy a while back. We loved this with Drake and used it until he was almost two, so it didn’t need much dusting off when Juliet was born. Juliet used the walker part for a short time, but now that she can pull up to stand and cruise, we took it off.  The little mushroom still provides much entertainment for both Drake andJuliet. They play the songs, move the toys, and use the snack cup holder.

2) Einstein Piano – I used this for tummy time with Drake when he was small.  We put it away for a while but recently unearthed it from the toy bin and Juliet took to it immediately. As its geared for her age, I was pleased to see a toy being loved the second time around. Drake will often play with it alongside Juliet or pull out one of our other instrument toys and pretend the two of them are in a band. Oh the noise!

3) Kidkraft Retro Blue Kitchen – I blogged a while back about this kitchen and how well it has stood up and how much it is loved to this day. Drake still busies himself in the kitchen cooking and making foods. Juliet started to pull up on it a bit ago, and is now understanding the idea of opening and closing the doors but she isnt quite able to do it herself yet. Luckily for her big brother leaves them open all the time so she can get in there and play (make a mess) with the food.

4) Fisher Price Little People Noah’s Ark – This was Drake’s hospital gift from Juliet when she was born. Drake loves animal figures so he plays with this along with his other sets daily. He likes lining them up and putting them in the boat and all other kinds of scenarios he comes up with. Juliet often comes to investigate the lines Drake makes. Luckily since Drake has so many animals in that set she can usually make off with one at least to snack on before he notices.

5) Puzzles – We have all kinds of puzzles in one corner of the room and Juliet’s favorite thing to do is go upset all the puzzles everywhere (oh joy). Drake then immediately rushes over to fix the puzzles. Repeat. You get the idea. While I realize Juliet isn’t really playing with the puzzles, she clearly is attracted to them and I hope in time she will learn how to do puzzles by watching Drake.

6) Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Mailbox – I bought this mailbox for Drake when he was about Juliet’s age. He had loved playing with it at a friend’s house and I caved and bought it. At 3 Drake still loves pretending to mail and receive letters. Juliet likes playing with the bird at top that sings and likes the opening and closing aspect of it as well.  After years of play we are down to one letter (from 3 originally) and the package and they still love it.

New toys

1) Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Puppy’s Activity Home – I picked out this house toy for Juliet for her birthday (her aunt and uncle purchased it), as I thought it would be good for her fine motor skills. Her developmental therapist said cause and effect toys were great for her and this one had a lot of little levers and doors for her to master. Who knew Drake would find a small house with little figures to be fascinating. Honestly sometimes it’s hard for me to tell who enjoys and plays with this toy more. I would buy this one again in a heartbeat.

2) Bright Starts Activity Table – I blogged about picking out an activity table for Juliet after her physical therapist recommended it.  We never bought Drake an activity table when he was younger and am so glad I purchased one. I specifically looked for one I was hoping would entertain and hold both of their interests, and I think the one we got ended up being a good choice. While Juliet loves all aspects of the toy — it’s one of her personal favorites — Drake really likes the extra ball chute piece. Together it works well for them playing as they don’t even really get in each other’s way or squabble over the same area of the toy.

3) Fisher Price Ride On Puppy –  After searching for the perfect ride on for Juliet, this puppy has brought so much laughter and fun to our home. Drake and Juliet especially love the treat aspect of the puppy and I love watching him pushing her along on it.

4) Zany Zoo – We got this for Juliet for Christmas as her Santa gift. I had a feeling Drake might enjoy it too which is why I bought it, since he likes the bead mazes at the doctor’s office. Juliet likes to slap and push and mess around with the toy, but Drake knows the letters and some of the words and plays with it in a different more purposeful way than Juliet. They both enjoy this one a lot and it keeps them occupied for quite a while when they get into it.