Entertain Your Little One With These Everyday Items
The secret is that there are no favorite children’s toys on any shelf. Instead, almost everything you need to stimulate, enthrall, and drain your little offspring is probably already at your disposal, hiding out in your closet, kitchen cupboard, or garage. Once you start digging around your house (as my husband and I do, often at 5 a.m. these days), you will find an endless array of novelties to present to your kids without having to shop, pack, or spend a dime – at least , until they start begging for their own phone. Some winners in my house:
Toilet paper
A roll of toilet paper is great for letting your child work out in your home while you steal a few minutes for yourself. Babies and toddlers love to spin, rip and, in fact, destroy any space with it. I resort to handing over a bun in moments of pure despair, such as when I need 5-10 minutes to make an urgent call, get something in the oven or take it out, or just pass out for a moment because babies are exhausted .
Cloth napkins
Cloth napkins are perfect for playing hide and seek, hiding toys underneath, tossing or spinning in the air to instantly distract a naughty toddler, or hiding around the room and making little ones look for them. If you have an empty shoebox, make a round hole in the middle of the lid and stuff napkins into it. Pulling them out one by one, like the Kleenex wipes, is a lot of fun.
Food containers
A plastic food storage box with a lid (like a food container or utensil) turns into a great tool for a child or toddler in a matter of seconds. Offer a wooden spoon or mixing spatula for the drumstick. Or fill a container with popcorn seeds, dried beans, or barley, and tape tightly for a large baby rattle. I keep one in our stroller and use it as a mini treasure chest, filling it with pebbles, leaves, twigs and other special finds. Whenever I feel the collapse, I present the box as if it were some kind of exciting gift for instant entertainment. Bonus: It’s also the perfect bath toy. Punch holes in the bottom to allow water to flow out.
Baskets, trash bins and buckets
With a little imagination, a laundry basket, old storage basket, large bucket or baby bath can be turned into a rocket ship flying to the moon, a cruise ship sailing to the sun (add a mop as a mast) or a pirate boat on a treasure hunt. (a nice thing is a bandana or an eye patch). Put your child in the driver’s seat and push or pull him with you. A little music will help make this toy a mega hit. (Right now at our home, our 11-month-old is digging up Kermit and Fozzie’s “Let’s Go Together” tune from the Muppet Movie soundtrack – perfect for any location, at any pace.)
Sheet
A sheet or tablecloth makes the perfect fort, cave, nest, beehive, or tent. On your sound machine, choose something nature-themed, such as “Rumbling Creek”, “Summer Nights” or “Ocean Waves.” Add a flashlight, some blankets and pillows and your child will be happy to have fun for ages (about 20 minutes of talking with parents).
Metal mixing bowl
Another versatile toy. Throw something like legos, spoons or small bricks at it and watch your little one enjoy the different sounds. Either flip it upside down, sliding across the floor like a giant puck, whip it like a cold steel drum, or slide it over your head like a silly helmet.
What non-toy toys do your kids love the most?