Free and repurposed toys your toddler wants to play with

Does your young toddler prefer to tear up receipts than play with all the toys you’ve bought them? Oh man, SAME! With the holiday upon us, I know that means the pressure is also weighing heavily on all the mama shoulders of the world! Right? Don’t you just feel like it would be so nice to be able to enjoy the holidays with your family and not have to worry about every. single. thing? I thought today I would do a light-hearted post to remind you that even though I know you want to give your child the world, you don’t have to actually buy it! 👏

I found that 1 is this funny age where they are almost a toddler but not quite a baby. A lot of “toys” are technically too old or young for her. Basically, this post is a list of things that keeps my daughter’s interest that I have been writing down. The best part about these is that an even better gift to your child than a store-bought toy is engaging with them while they play with all this free/re-purposed stuff!

Natural Materials

Okay, don’t roll your eyes, I know how obvious this is but it’s seriously the best. If you can stand them getting a little messy, there is no better play pace than the natural world. My daughter LOVES sticks, digging in the dirt, and running leaves. She also likes trying to run up and down hills. Honestly, you can spend a lot of time outside if you just follow your waddling toddler around. 😂

Containers

This is a fan-favorite right now. Emme is VERY interested in opening and closing containers, and taking lids on and off things (hence the marker all over my walls 24/7). Obviously this works motor skills, too! Some of the more common containers I give her include empty milk jugs that have been rinsed out, empty jars like jelly jars, yogurt containers, and basically anything I was about to recycle that has a lid. ðŸĪĢ She doesn’t play with them for long, but I get a little more life out of them before they are recycled so that makes me happy! I love to also put things in the containers as a little surprise for her when she gets it open. Which usually then becomes a game of opening, taking out, putting back in, closing, repeat. 😊

Not-a-Box, Boxes

Basically the same idea, but in box form. The not-a-box idea is from one of my favorite children’s books, “Not A Box.” When I have a spare cardboard box I honestly do crazy stuff with it like bang it around and throw it in the air and push it or hide stuff in it until something catches Emme’s attention and she tries it (anything for two minutes to pour coffee down my throat ðŸĪŠ). I also have jewelry boxes I have saved that I love putting out with little trinkets inside for Emme to find. Usually I put one of her small schleich animals or a play necklace inside. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it just in case: don’t put anything in there you don’t want them to have when you aren’t looking bc that is the exact moment they will figure out how to open it.

Mama toys

I have found that Emme is pretty much interested in investigating anything I find interesting. So, if I’m doing my makeup, she wants to see my brushes. If I’m brushing my hair, she wants the brush. If I’m putting lotion on, she wants to see the lotion. Babies are so curious, and as you know, they really think anything is a toy. Mama just has to let them play with it! 😂 I usually let her check out anything that is not dangerous and only if I am with-in eyesight. When I want her to put it away, I just say, “okay, we are all done brushing our hair, say bye-bye to the brush and let’s go XYZ.” Sometimes she cries, yes. We aren’t perfect. But toddlers live in the present pretty darn well, so you can typically show them something else and they will get over it eventually.

Another great example is my wallet. This is how I get through my post office package pickup everytime. I sit Emme in our wagon and hand her my open wallet and she goes to town trying to pull the cards out and put them back in. Or she takes a receipt out and shreds it, but either way, it keeps her attention long enough for me to get in and out without much fussing!  Of course you have to monitor them when they have your wallet and make sure they aren’t swallowing any coins or tossing your cards out of sight. That’s why I save the wallet for things like standing in line, where I am literally doing nothing but watching her and we don’t have anything else to play with!

Water

Alright I don’t want you wasting water just to waste it, as it is not really “free.” But, water is something that definitely keeps emme’s interest and isn’t actually that hard to clean up (it’s water, it can’t do a ton of damage other than to electronics!) Here are a list of ways we play with water:

  • In a water table or large tupperware on the patio, fill with cups/bowls/utensils
  • In the bath with random tupperware/cups
  • Watering plants
  • Painting with water
  • Filling Murphy’s water bowl (and subsequently playing in it most likely)
  • Washing toys in a bucket

But what if I DO want to buy them something?

Do you, mama! I don’t play the mom-guilt game. 💖 I also don’t believe in re-inventing the wheel, when there are so many amazing, intelligent creators out there. If you do want to buy your babe something that will be useful and played with for more than 5 seconds, check out this post from my friend Kailee, who is a pediatric physical therapist! It is full of “big gift” ideas that will last as they grow. 🙌

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