Entertain Your Child with these Inexpensive Toy Ideas

How many toys have you bought your child, sure they would find hours of delight with the flashing lights, the funny sounds, and the endless "educational" properties of the toy? And then how many of those toys sat unnoticed while your child had a blast playing with the box? It's classic, and you hear people say it all the time, "my child would rather play with the box than the toy".

My two year old is the same way. Between us, her grandparents, and other well meaning friends and relatives, we've accumulated enough toys to keep the Energizer Bunny going and going and going...into eternity. She's not impressed. Boxes? Boxes, she loves. She sits in them, she stacks them, she turns them upside down and stands on them, she puts her babies in them (as a crib) and countless other ways to use a box that her little mind dreams up.

So why do we, as adults feel the pressure to run out and buy toys every time Christmas or birthdays roll around? I say, stop the craziness! Here are a few ideas to get you started, we'll start with the obvious:

Boxes Any size will do. Tape up small ones and use them as building blocks, get graduating sizes and use them as nesting blocks, build a castle, a fort, or a tower. Decorate boxes as cars, trains, or buses and take a pretend trip (make sure to go through a drive-through restaurant).

Paper Use paper to cut out paper dolls and then fashion a whole wardrobe for them. Search the Internet for instructions on how to make paper beads and then spend the day making "jewelry". Color cards for relatives, who doesn't love original art work? Using an ice cream bucket and a wadded up piece of paper, create a game to see who can throw the paper in the bucket from the furthest distance.

Plastic Bottles Set up plastic bottles to make a bowling game.

Masking Tape Make a road for little toy cars by taping two strips of masking tape to a floor or tabletop. Use those boxes again to make road side attractions.

Pots and Pans It's hard on the ears, but the smile on your child's face will be worth it. Set them up with pots, pans, and wooden spoons and let the music begin!

The most important things are spending time with your child (that's what they really want anyway) and allowing them to use their imagination. Provide them with the tools to create, before you throw something out ask yourself if your child might play with it first. Keep a box of odds and ends in the cupboard for a rainy day and watch with amusement as your child plays with their free toys.

Please make sure the items you give your child are age appropriate, obviously babies and toddlers can choke on small items.

Hopefully this gets you thinking in the direction of free, fun, and educational. By providing these toys, you are also teaching your children a valuable life long lesson, money doesn't buy happiness.