No More Noisy Toys, Please!

Being a mom of soon to be 8 children, I know what most toys mean...NOISE!

I have often wondered why manufacturers make such loud toys. Even more of a wonderment is why parents buy such toys to keep the manufacturers going?

We have had our share of these loud toys throughout the years. I remember my parents buying my oldest daughter a baby doll for Christmas. This doll had an awful, loud, hideous laugh. It sounded like a crazed baby and to make it worse, it came with its own walker that would go on its own when a button was pushed. Imagine a crazed, laughing baby going round and round, bumping into things in a walker! My daughter was 3 years old at the time and would not have anything to do with it. I gladly took it back to the store.

Another loud toy came again at Christmas when my parents bought one of my son's a very large firetruck. This truck was at least 3 feet long! It looked just like a real fire truck, with water hoses, ladders, etc. It also had all the bells, whistles and alarms on it! My boys could be in another room and I could still hear these alarms. We finally found the chance to hide this truck and it stayed hidden for almost a year. I was so disappointed when one of my boys found the truck. He was so happy while I cringed!.Thankfully, the batteries were wore down and I made the excuse that batteries were very expensive and we just could not afford to buy them at that point in time. My son took the truck and happily played "quietly" with it for a long time.

It seems like more and more of the toys being made make some kind of noise. Even infant toys, like rattles, make more noise than they use to. For the most part, I have found that these noisy toys make the child play louder too. The more noise there is, the Louder the child gets. If you have children and you think your house is too noisy, try taking away some of the noise makers (including the TV) and see if it doesn't help lower the decimal level in your house.

I do have a few toys that make noise that I like:

1. A musical toy by Fisher-Price. It is an older toy, and I do not know the exact name of it. It plays a nice soft classical music, that is interactive with the child. A benefit is that it has a volume button, low, high and OFF. Classical music has been proven to stimulate a person's brain. This is good for a growing baby/child.
2. Bright Starts, firefly rattle. This rattle has helped many times in the car with a crying baby. The baby will automatically stop and focus on it. It is also very adorable!
3. Leap Pad Fridge Phonics. I like the way this toy teaches phonic sounds and the alphabet song. It is also magnetic so it stays on the refrigerator.

 Some alternatives to noisy toys are:

• Lego's and K-nex. You can get these for just about any age group. The downfall is that there are lots of pieces that can be lost (that is another hub!).
• Wooden Blocks - These are nice for the younger children.
• Baby Dolls - You can get these in any size, color, some that eat and even poop!  Little girls love pretending with these.
• Swords and Shields - My boys love playing with these kind of toys.  It gives them the action that they need.
• Pretend toys - Nowadays there are all kinds of these toys.  From doll houses to pirate ships.  You can even still find army men, cowboys & Indians to dinosaurs.
• Board & Card Games - This is one of our families favorite things to do.  It is even more fun as the kids get older and more of a challenge to us.  I have even lost a few times!  Some of our favorites are: Scrabble, Sequence, Monopoly, Uno and Rook, just to name a few.

 The next time you need to buy a friend or relative a birthday, Christmas, or Baby Shower gift, think twice before buying noisy toys. Someone might appreciate you!