Brooke Burke Seeking Toy Suggestions For Shaya

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Shopping for 1-year-old boys can be tough, when so many toys are geared toward new babies or older toddlers. That’s the predicament Brooke Burke and David Charvet found themselves in when holiday shopping for their son Shaya Braven, 10-months next week. “We are such a girl’s house that we have been struggling trying to find the right toys for Shaya,” the 37-year-old Dancing With the Stars winner wrote on her blog Dec. 21. “If anyone has any great suggestions for 1-year-old boys, I would love to hear them.” At least one present appears to have been a hit, however. “David just bought [Heaven] Rain [turning 2 next week] and Shaya the cutest electric train that she can drive around the house while Shaya sits in the back.”

Their family of six– which includes 8 ½-year-old Neriah and 6 ½-year-old Sierra Sky from Brooke’s previous marriage – made their fair share of presents, as well. The kids created “abstract paintings” for extended family members, using cards, ribbon, material and paper scraps and glue. Writes Brooke,

“I asked Neriah and Sierra to draw a simple self portrait and then decorate it with all their supplies. It ends up being a beautiful self portrait inspired collage. Rain at 2-yrs-old can make some amazing art too. I frame them and they are as beautiful as any of the other art in my home.”

With Christmas over, Brooke and her brood have moved on to the mountains to ring in the New Year.  “I can’t think of a better way to finish off 2008,” Brooke writes. “I went sledding with Neriah today, so fun!”

Source: Baboosh Baby

Comments

The SAME toys you would buy for a ONE YEAR OLD GIRL!! A one year old is a one year old..

- Aitch on December 30th, 2008

I found the greatest toy, it says ages 2-7, but my 10 year old wants one!! http://www.bilibo.com

- Kim on December 30th, 2008

I totally agree. I did the same thing…my 2 year olds did watercolors. When I framed them, they looked like beautiful art!

- StarObsessed on December 30th, 2008

I dont have a toy suggestion, but I would suggest the less the better. I think that kids who have overload of toys do not really appreciate them and play with them the way kids with fewer toys do. I have seen many playrooms full of broken toys and lost legos kids never played with during my babysitting years and every time they got yet-another toy they just played with it maybe an hour and off it went to the basement never to be seen.
So the less in this case is definitely the more @!!

- Nikka on December 30th, 2008

Hey . i thought brooke also had a 13 year old Daughter . if enyone knows would you be able to let me no thanks .x

- Lindsay on December 30th, 2008

Lindsay, Brooke’s oldest kid is her 8 year old daughter.

I love this family!

- Jane on December 30th, 2008

little tonka trucks for age 1 and up are great! my boys were all about cars, trucks, and trains.

Thomas Trains will be more age appropriate when he gets closer to age 2.

- Kat on December 30th, 2008

Playskool Busy Ball Popper, great for 1 year old boys & girls.

- Leslie on December 30th, 2008

Our youngest just turned one over Thanksgiving. Since he has an older brother who already had tons of toys, we were perplexed over what to get him. We narrowed it down to outside toys (since the inside of our house is in need of a toy purging) in an attempt to encourage us and them to be outside more, playing in the yard. We settled on a big John Deere dump truck. Big brother already had a big Tonka dump truck. Now each boy has his own big dump truck for making piles of dirt and rock. They have actually shared both trucks so far. Since they are different colors, in the little boys minds, they haul different things..or at least that’s what my 3 year old tells me.

- MulberryLane on December 30th, 2008

First off, I completely agree with Aitch – any toys you would buy for a one year old girl are perfectly suitable for a boy (and vice versa!)

I would add that a homemade (or online-made) picture book – containing photos of people, places, and favorite things in baby’s life – is a wonderful gift for a 1-year old.

- global mama on December 30th, 2008

Our son LOVES his John Deere wagon (metal – not plastic). He got it for his 1st birthday & hasn’t stopped playing with it since. And he likes his cars & trucks – I think Tonka makes some softer ones for little ones his age.

- Annie on December 30th, 2008

I have a 20-month old little boy, for his first birthday we got him a Little Tikes truck to ride in outside (we push him around in it), wooden puzzles, dump trucks, bathtub toys. Now that he’s a little bit older..for Christmas he got a tricycle, a toolshop/workbench, toddler musical instruments are always a great hit (they make mini toddler drum sets), like guitar, xylophones, maraccas, etc.

- Sandra on December 30th, 2008

I know what Brooke’s going through. I’m a major girly girl and would love to do the whole dolls/clothes/jewelry routine with a little girl. As fate would have it, I’m godmother to a two and a half-year-old boy. I don’t remember what I bought him for his first birthday; there were a lot of keepsake stuffed animals and mementos that first year. In fact, I only really started doing the “toy” thing this year. I followed Sandra’s lead and bought him an FAO Schwartz musical instrument set complete with drums, maracas, recorder, etc., and ball. I’m eager to see what he thinks of the musical instrument set; if he really likes it, I may get him a bigger set for his birthday in February (the ball doesn’t worry me as much-what three-year-old boy doesn’t like throwing a ball around??) I actually looked into getting him a bilibo before settling on the instrument set and may be getting it for him for his birthday; it looks cool!

- Lauren on December 30th, 2008

Wooden blocks, a soft doll, balls, crayons, plastic measuring cups, tupperware, musical instruments, a push or pull toy.

- Colleen on December 30th, 2008

She should so email me!!! i have tons of great ideas and we run a wee wood toy company! I love boys and toys! I have two boys and I have loads of good ideas!

- amy on December 30th, 2008

I can’t remember if the Charvet/Burkes live in a warm climate, but sand tables and water tables are really fun, but probably best outdoors, because they’re messy.

- nona on December 31st, 2008

I both agree and disagree with the statement that any toys you’d buy for a one-year-old girl are perfectly suitable for a one-year-old boy. I personally agree with it, but I also know that not everyone is comfortable getting their boy a doll (and their are dolls out there for one-year-old girls) or other “girly” toy to play with.

That said, I don’t think Brooke should worry too much! I have a brother, and, when we were little, we enjoyed playing with each other’s toys as much as we enjoyed playing with our own toys! He sometimes played “daddy” to my dolls when we were really young. When we were older, I developed a fascination for his action figures!

What was even more fun than playing with each other’s toys, however, was playing with each other’s toys together!

- CelebBabyLover on December 31st, 2008

what does a one-year-old really need a present for anyway, i wonder? unless they get no toys during the rest of the year. it’s way more fun playing with the wrapper at that age. i know that’s what i did. give ‘em something they actually need and have them open that if it’s such a big deal that they open their own presents.

- sgtmian on December 31st, 2008