Ten toys tested & proved by Henry

By Kate Austin-Avon, Chronicle Freelance

Some of you out there might be headed to a baby shower or gearing up for a birthday party, and so I wanted to share with you Henry’s top 10 all-time favorite toys. You’ll win some major kudos with the kid of your choice if you bring them one of these gems.

10. Cardboard Box. You guys know about this one. They’re good for peek-a-boo, and you can put things in them, too. Like the cat.

9. Ball. It could be the bright, bouncy kind you get out of a big tower at Target, the big globe at Crandall Public Library or an orange at the grocery store. If it’s round, it’s a ball.

8. Book. Sometimes when I’m doing the dishes or cooking dinner and have my back turned for a few seconds, I’ll realize that Henry’s being way too quiet, and I’ll dash from kitchen to living room imagining horrible, unspeakable tragedy — only to find him quietly flipping the pages of a book. Phew.

7. Dirt. Sandbox, playground, garden, side of the road… doesn’t matter. Dirt is dirty, which means it’s fun.

6. Measuring Cups. Especially fun in the tub. A few of ours are resigned to regular bath toy status. Henry also enjoys teapots to the point that we bought him his own one from SensibiliTeas. He’s just really into pouring.

5. Pots and Pans. Give the kid a couple of wooden spoons and he’s a regular Jon Fishman.

4. Broom. This works out for us both.

3. Toilet Paper. Run around with a long ribbon of it like a streamer, or drop individual squares and watch them float down to the ground. TP the living room! On second thought, actually, please don’t.

2. Baskets. Henry is obsessed with balloons. He’ll dump everything out of any given container and get in it while making a noise like the burner on a hot air balloon. So he is super helpful on laundry day.

1. Trash can lid. His all-time favorite. No matter what kind of discipline, psychological tricks or flat out yelling you might try to get him away from this thing, he’ll take every opportunity to open and close it at whim, and often takes it off to push it across the room. Henry loves the trash can lid like a brother.

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Kate Austin-Avon is a former full-time Chronicle staffer. Her “Family Time” column appears biweekly in The Chronicle.