Free and very cheap toy and play ideas thread

[Sarah13]

I thought it would be a nice idea to start a toy/play type of thread as sometimes its hard to think of what to play or do with babies and toddlers and toys can be so expensive to keep buying and they soon get bored of them.

So Ill start with 'treasure baskets' Some of you probably go to baby sensory so will have came across these ideas before but Kynon loves his 'treasure basket' which is filled with random objects from around the house. I only give it to him once a day at most for a little while so he doesn't get bored and have 2 baskets I swap about and add to. It totally works when I need 5 minutes to get tea on.

Here's some links to get started with some great ideas of what you could include:

http://www.theimaginationtree.com/search/label/Treasure%20Baskets
http://www.littleacornstomightyoaks.co.uk/Articles/Treasure_basket
http://www.netmums.com/activities/arts-and-crafts/treasure-baskets

 

[JensBump]

Brilliant idea

 

[Elfs Mummy]

treasure boxes are fab

Empty milk cartons filled with rice
Pots and pans and wooden spoon


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[mum2b410]

Cool! I have been giving Ethan an empty pampers box to play with recently but perhaps I could turn it into a treasure box! X

 

[Nic36]

Fab idea! I'd never heard of treasure boxes... Really look forward to reading this thread!
We bought a £1.49 helium balloon for LO and she loves playing with it (under supervision!). It is reflective too, so she likes looking at her reflection, she touches it, listens to it crinkle and loves watching it move. Probably the best and cheapest 'toy' we have bought!

 

[mum2b410]

Oh Yeh, we have given ethan a balloon to play with and he loved it! That and bubbles!! X

 

[Nic36]

Emily and her balloon!

 

[jojo_2012]

Can't think of much for babies, health and safety and all that. I put an intact multipack of crisps on Lewis's highchair table today and let him hammer away at them.
Some things I love for older kids...

Blowing bubbes, kids of all ages like bubbles.
Salt dough.
Using a yoga mat as a roly-poly mat.
Cardboard boxes and empty kitchen rolls. Save them up for a rainy day.
Using the tins from the cupboard and some coppers to set up a shop.
Building a kite.
Making sock puppets.

 

[Mrs CW]

We went to our first treasure baskets session today! Dylan loved it! It took a while for him to get into it but once he started exploring there was no stopping him. I'm going to sort one out for him at home.
He loves paper to crunch (although I caught him eating it today!) and also those space blanket things as it makes loads of noise. I want to get some bells as all the babies at group seem to love them! X

 

[hellywelly]

Great thread! My LO is only just getting into toys but I love the balloon idea! I once had the misfortune to be sat next to a screaming 9 month old on a two hour flight. After the first hour of screaming I was so desperate I purchased and ate a ridiculously priced mini tube of Pringles from the cabin staff. Then I had a brain wave. I screwed up the foil pull off bit into a ball and popped it inside the tube and put the lid on as an improvised shaker toy. Kept the 9 month old quiet for the next 50mins and stopped my ears from bleeding!!

 

[Binzy]

Ryan has some popcorn kernels in one of those pringle tubs as a shaker and he loves it! Rice would do the same.
I've never heard of sensory baskets, I'm definitely going to make one up.

 

[traci]

Alice loves windmills!! About £1 I think it was and every time it goes round she laughs at it

 

[Mrs N]

I was going to say windmills, also those foil blankets you get in boots!! The other things that are great for little ones is offcuts of different fabrics and laminated photos of other babies and smiling faces!!
xxx

 

[pinkyprincess]

I was going to say windmills, also those foil blankets you get in boots!! The other things that are great for little ones is offcuts of different fabrics and laminated photos of other babies and smiling faces!!
xxx

I was gonna say foil blanket..... Hours of entertainment!

 

[littlemuffin]

Thank you for this. Il love the coloured bath idea to help learn colours as well.

Ohhh I can't wait for Macy to get a bit bigger.

 

[poppypd]

Great thread, super ideas!

 

[knopk@]

Anton loves wooden kitchen utensils and a box or a tin to bang together, I give him different clothes (like my bathrobe because its soft or a knitted jumper) so he can explore textures. I also bought him those fuzzy looking rubber things, you can get them on a key chain but I got bigger one without the metal bit. He adores it! I only give it with supervision.

In our baby play class they had loofahs, sponges and similar things to touch as well.

 

[BevG]

making a fingermouse from an old cereal box went down well when i was a kid. also food colouring in washing up liquid on a plate, funny swirls of colour. making scones with mum was lots of fun and plasticene or playdoh for older kids.

 

[Sarah13]

Here's a pic of what I put in Kynons treasure baskets, going to add more from those websites. Daddy hates that's I put a dolly in it but I thought it was a good idea!
Today at sensory we had bowls of fine oatmeal with lots of things to find like a lucky dip and didn't matter if he ate the oatmeal, she said cereal works well too!

 

[Lettie]

Typed out a long response on my phone last night and then internet went down so on the comp now! Old empty water bottle with sequins, a bell and some beads makes a great, pretty shaker. I used to do it very slowly when F was little so as not to startle her but now she holds it and shakes it like mad. Seal the lid on with electrical tape. Also one filled with water, glitter and a bit of food colouring makes a nice 'swishy' bottle - like a cheap lava lamb/snow globe thing which she loves. Space blankets big success. Waft pieces of material/,ussies over them lying down, F loves the wind on her face and playing peek a boo from underneath it. Homemade play dough, very easy, cheap and can be binned when you're done. Ribbons of different colours/textures tied to a ring and waft them gently over their faces when lying down, always got a smile (under supervision only tho!) Nursery rhymes with actions are always a success! )