LEGO Duplo

Basic Lego is actually decently affordable. It's the collector's sets that adults would buy whose prices are jacked sky high, based on demand it seems. I've bought a decent amount of Duplo and Lego kits for my son (currently 3 years old) and it's great value.

Yes, I've seen this as well! Thanks for the link. As my kids got older, we upgraded to Lego system track and I was initially very disappointed in it. The math for Lego track is quite different and there is something very satisfying about the Duplo system. The key difference is that switches in Duplo are equivalent to two oppositely curved tracks overlaid on each other. This means you can pop a switch in anywhere that there is a curve piece. In the Lego system track, it is a straight piece with a curve out and back in slightly. If you place two switches together you can connect two parallel tracks, but it has the disadvantage of being harder to place (you end up needing substantial straight sections to use switches)

Mine is also two and really into Duplo, so Lego will be a natural progression, especially considering that the blocks are compatible, so I wholeheartedly recommend it. Also some the ones she's playing with are currently over 30 years old and still going.

I mean, in the end if you are the parent, choose wisely the toys you buy. We spent a lot (really a lot!) of money on: duplo, brio, a wooden toy kitchen, an enormous set of duplo animals, a set of magnets. Our children use those, yes we have garbage toys from friends and parents, but our children use those, exception for cars. Any car is fine. We also have 4 different garbage trucks (one for the sand, 2 rideables, 1 for playing at home), since we have a passionate guy. The plastic of all 4 is good, yes they are not metal unfortunately (but he is still 2). Train and duplo are still going really strong, the kitchen a bit less because we had to remove some pieces since they made such a mess that they wouldn't know how to cleanup, and I got frustrated doing it myself every time. For videogames, stoo giving garbage videogames and give them quality stuff. We skip tv for children and tablet videogames are not a thing, instead I let my children play yoshi's crafted world and kirby star allies. My daughter (almost 5) is really strong by now, my 2 year old is still getting started. I am very passionate of toys, I am very fond of my old ones (I have a very large lego collection, as well as mechas from power rangers). Aside from that, yes toys are mostly crap quality nowdays. I struggle to find good stuff, we'd rather skip a birthday and find a good more expensive toy to buy later on, if needed at all.

I have a 1.5-year old and we bought 25 kilograms of used Duplo (toddler safe, bigger Lego from the same brand). There are bricks from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and they all still click together well and have barely faded in colour. The quality of this stuff is amazing, and it still is judging from the brand new bricks we got as a gift.