If You Build It, He Will Scream!

The first fourteen months of my son's life have been pretty similar to those of my daughter. He is more laid back than she ever was (or I will ever be), and he is in no hurry to walk by himself. He does say some words, but he also makes a sound that my daughter compares to that of a Teradactyl. On the toy front, no big surprises either. He plays with the same toys my daughter did: PlanToys kitchen accessories and food, wooden blocks, animal and dinosaur figures, anything musical, puzzles and books.

This past week he has discovered the dump truck and the bulldozer. The property adjacent to our home is commercially zoned and construction has started. HE IS IN HEAVEN. Every time he hears a truck or the sound of some heavy equipment, he scoots to the door screeching with delight. Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of construction equipment in the house as darling tomboy has not passed through her engineering phase...yet.

If you have a son or daughter fascinated with digging, cranes and construction, Kobold suggests:

A construction puzzle! This adorable puzzle board has the same drawing as the puzzle pieces so your child can easily put the pieces together. The puzzle has magnetic backing so that it can easily stick to the refrigerator.

Playmobil’s Truck with Garage is also a wonderful starter toy for the younger construction fan. The toy is also a shape sorter. While pretend playing to be a truck driver, your little one can also practice coordination and motor skills by trying to put the right shaped blocks in the right place. Once the truck is loaded up, it can leave the garage and go to wherever your child's imagination takes it!

For summer travel, consider the Take-Along Construction Set by Playmobil. This on-the-go construction set comes with a rolling garage door, an unfolding ramp for easy car entrance, and enough pieces to tackle any project.

Playmobil also offers an amazing crane, and your child will love to move it, pick up things and let them go! The crane comes with integrated steering for six different functions (rotates and movable). This fantastic toy has won several prestigious awards.

If you are anti-batteries, consider the crane by PlanToys. PlanToys offers wonderful and eco-friendly toys for your budding engineer. Our favorites include the forklift, bulldozer, highway trucks and the garbage truck.

Although I am not as excited about the big trucks and noisy equipment as my son seems to be, I am delighted with his response and eager to see how his new found love of trucks and construction will evolve. I only hope that the "vrooms" and "booms" this pretend play will elicit will be more tolerable than the Teradactyl scream. - Happy Building! Ashley