Toys with the highest play-time and lowest clean-up-time

Overall take on the article and metrics

• Many readers agree “play-time vs clean-up-time” is a useful lens, especially for exhausted parents.
• Some find the article too short and narrow (mostly magnet tiles), suspecting light affiliate marketing.
• Others note the scoring ignores developmental value: by the criteria used, phones/tablets would “win,” which feels wrong to many.

Magnetic tiles: big winner, with caveats

• Widespread consensus that Magna-Tiles (and similar) are exceptional: years of use across ages, high replayability, very fast cleanup, fun even for adults.
• Knockoff brands are mixed: some compatible and fine, others weaker or dimensionally off, causing collapsed builds and frustration.
• Safety concerns: cheap magnets breaking out and being swallowed are flagged as genuinely dangerous.
• Oversized “fort-building” tiles get enthusiasm but less direct experience; a few report toddlers loving them in libraries.

Lego and other construction toys

• Strong nostalgia for older Lego: fewer ultra-tiny/specialized pieces, more general bricks, more “play” and less display.
• Complaints:
  • Modern sets too intricate to disassemble; kids treat them as models.
  • High perceived cost, though some argue inflation-adjusted price per brick has dropped.
• Duplo is praised as more age-appropriate and easier to clean than Lego.
• Alternatives: K’NEX, wooden blocks, cardboard bricks, Tubelox/Quadro-style tube systems, Matador, Kapla planks, marble runs, Snap Circuits.

Simple, open-ended classics

• Plain wooden blocks are repeatedly singled out as near-perfect: durable, versatile, multigenerational, easy to toss back in a bag.
• Balls, cardboard boxes, paper+crayons, plasticine/Play-Doh, train tracks, wire bead mazes, and matchbox cars all get strong endorsements.

Screens and “is an iPad a toy?”

• Multiple commenters note that by the article’s metrics, phones/tablets/consoles are clearly top-ranked (huge playtime, zero cleanup).
• This is seen as either a bug in the metric or a reason to exclude screens from “toys”; some call tablet‑as‑toy outright harmful, others say it depends on constrained, offline use.

Cleanup, “doneness,” and parenting angles

• Some ask “why not just teach kids to clean up?”; responses emphasize age, months of training, and toy design that makes fast cleanup easier.
• The idea of game “doneness” matters: finite games (board games) are easier to put away than open-ended builds that kids claim are “still in use.”

“Opposite list” for uncles

• For maximum chaos (high mess, low value), suggestions include glitter, kinetic sand, slime, noisy instruments (drums, vuvuzelas), complex gluey craft kits, and small-piece games like Perfection.