Through my experiences with Girl and Boy Sip (aka the Sipplings), I’ve come to love and hate a variety of toys that have come into my life, as a result of being a parent. Let’s start with the toys I enjoy seeing my kids enjoying:
Marble Works
Growing up, a young Sip Advisor was such a fan of Marble Works sets that Ma Sip remembers me tracing the paths of the toy in catalogues. Boy Sip is particularly fond of playing with tracks his dear ol’ dad builds. My only issue with these sets is all the marbles I have to dig out from under the couch.
Lego
Another toy that the Sip Advisor was quite into in my own youth. I love seeing the Sipplings creating and imagining with Lego. It’s fascinating to see how the brand has evolved since my days of enjoying the bricks. Now, there seems to be a line of sets for every property in entertainment and I’m here for many of them.
Outdoor Equipment
One of my more recent favourite pastimes, is hanging out at Ma and Pa Sip’s place, drink in hand, while the Sipplings ride bikes, trikes, scooters and other vehicles around their cul de sac. Sometimes, we bring out Boy Sip’s remote control car, and I chase the Sipplings with it, as they fly around the neighbourhood.
Let’s give an honourable mention to tablets because sometimes you just need your kids the shut up and leave you alone for a bit! On the flip side, here are some items the Sip Advisor dreads seeing the kids get their hands on:
Play-Doh
I understand that Play-Doh and similar products are practically a right of passage for kids, but man do I hate this stuff. I hate the way it feels, smells, crumbles, hardens, etc. Every time the Sipplings sit down with Play-Doh, it means I will have a messy cleanup on my hands and will likely threaten to ban the junk from use in the home.
Slime
In a similar vein to Play-Doh, I greatly dislike slimes and goop products, which have become popular in recent times, thanks to all the bozo online influencers out there. These substances always seem to get into kids’ hair and clothes, as well as on household furniture and is not easy to remove.
Chalk
What a vile substance. I once had a kid come up to me at a playground, wipe their chalky hands on my pants and giggle the whole time they did it. Worse yet, I’d never met this child in my life, so giving them hell or walloping them was certainly not an option. Even schools realized that chalk sucks and boards have disappeared since.
Also worth mentioning is any toy without an off button, particularly ones that make noise and have no volume adjustment or way of shutting down. Throw musical instruments into this category, although Boy Sip asking for and receiving a mini trumpet for Christmas was quite entertaining.
Love & Hate: Toy Story
- 2 oz Peach Schnapps
- Top with Club Soda
- Splash of Lime Juice
- Garnish with a Lime Wedge
Which weapons of destruction – they can all be classified this when in the hands of a child – do you love or hate? Time to go throw out all the Playdoh, slime and chalk I can find around the house!
Sip Advisor 