When discussing the importance of reducing screen time for kids or promoting more play, I’m frequently asked about which toys to purchase. Some express concerns about budget constraints, particularly regarding wooden toys. If you find yourself in this position, I encourage you to remember the saying that play is in the child, not the toy.
So let’s discuss the idea of using household objects as toys or playthings for your kids. You’d be surprised by the level of creativity these items can inspire and the learning opportunities they offer.
Dry Pasta
Dry penne pasta has been a huge hit in our home this week – who would’ve thought? Here are some ways to reimagine it beyond just pasta.
- Using a shoe lace and penne pasta to create a threading/stringing activity.
- Using a scoop or spoon to transfer pasta between containers.
- Use spaghetti pasta to insert into the colander holes.
- Stick a spaghetti noodle in a ball of playdoh and thread penne pasta on it.
- Use it for pretend cooking! You can let them borrow pots from your kitchen, if needed.
Plastic Cups
Plastic cups are incredibly versatile and open-ended play items.
- Stack them and build with them
- Use them for sorting – you could use animal figurines, or even different pasta shapes mixed up!
- For older toddlers, you can make a target game out of them. Toss in pom poms or balls!
Plastic Containers and Lids
- You don’t have to buy a play sink, you can offer water play in simple plastic containers that you have at home. Use a large one to fill up with water and utilize smaller cups to play with the water!
- Lid matching activity. Simply setup the plastic containers of varying sizes with their lids off in a basket and allow your kid to match the lids.
- These also make great bath toys and they won’t mold as easily.
Cardboard Boxes
This one shouldn’t come as a surprise – we rarely throw away a box before repurposing it as something fun for my toddler, and don’t forget about the bubble wrap inside! It’s a great sensory experience for your kids to jump on and pop the bubbles.
- Make a vehicle ramp out of the boxes and use painters tap to mark the road. If you have multiple kids, they can use it as a racing track!
- Keep it very simple and use it as an easel. Paint sticks glide really easy on cardboard
- Build a ball or race track
- I loved this Cardboard Box Paint and Water activity that is so low mess!
This is not an all-inclusive list of everything that can be done with these items, but rather a starting point for you to see these household items as almost free toys!
Swiffer
Here’s a clever idea for repurposing. Did you know that Swiffer’s are height adjustable? Simply adjust them to a shorter height and let your kids use them as their cleaning tool instead of buying expensive child-sized cleaning sets!
What about the toys we have at home?
If you’re struggling with play in your home, I want you to consider that the reason play might not be happening in your home – it might not have anything to do with the toys you already have.
Chances are you already have a LOT of great toys, and it might be other factors – Are there too many toys? Do you need to reduce? Would a toy rotation be useful? Are they all dumped in a basket? Is play even an expected part of their daily rhythm? If you want to learn more about creating the right environment for play, check out my guide for Getting Things Done Without Screen-Time for Your Kids.
Next week, I’ll be sharing my recommendations for open-ended toys! See you then.
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