Giving Real Items to Kids to Use as Toys

When it comes to toys, kids love to play with utilitarian items that exist in the grownup world. Toy stores are filled with doctor kits, play cash registers, play kitchens, and toy cook sets. These cheap plastic replicas do not last long, however, and will quickly outlive their usefulness only to end up in a landfill.

I prefer to give my children real items to play with instead of their toy counterparts. Real items are often less expensive or are the same price as the toy replica. Also, giving your child the real thing is educational rather than just imaginative play. They will be toys that you or y our children can use later on in life.

Toy First Aid Kit

To make a first aid kit or doctor kit, find a container with a handle. This could be an old lunch box or a cardboard craft box from a craft store. Coat the box in primer and paint it white. Use a stencil to paint a red cross on the front in red paint or use two pieces of red electrical tape. Fill the box with a real stethoscope (you can get one at nearly any drugstore), a cheap digital thermometer, and a large roll or two of gauze.

Band-Aids will get used up quickly and are wasteful, so give kids gauze to make into bandages instead. If you can find a baby medicine syringe, it can be used as a toy syringe. You can also get a real syringe for free from your doctor's office just by asking. Be sure to remove the needle before giving it to your child!

Check your drug store for other reusable first-aid items such as finger braces, kids' ouch buddies, or medicine droppers. Empty medicine bottles can be used as play medicine and kids can put their own play "medicine" inside. Avoid giving very young children childproof bottles to prevent them from learning how to open them. Glue the lids on with permanent super glue after adding a few beads or dry beans to the inside. Remove the labels from the bottles so they do not get mixed up with real medicine in your home. You can paint a red cross on the bottle to signify that it is a toy.

Play Kitchen Items

Play kitchen items are also easy to make from real food and supplies. All kinds of nuts in the shell can be used as-is. Jars are great for making play food as long as you do not give them to a child too young to have anything breakable. Fill the jars halfway with large dried beans, or durable large pastas such as ziti and bowtie pasta. If you do not want the children to remove the food, glue the lids on tight. Cover the lid with a square of cloth and tie a ribbon around it for decoration.

For boxed goods, simply use empty boxes. Small boxes are best, but you can also use cereal boxes. Just remove the plastic and any crumbs from inside, refold the box top, and give it to your child.

You can even make canned goods for kids if you have the right materials. First, carefully remove the label from a can of food. Cut the top off of the can using the type of can opener that creates a lid that can be stuck back onto the can. Empty the contents and thoroughly clean and dry the inside of the can. Squeeze permanent super glue around the edge of the can lid and securely glue it back onto the can. Use craft glue to glue the label back onto the can or leave the can label-free for an old-fashioned look.

Other empty food containers make great play food. Metal tins, empty salt and pepper shakers, and empty spice jars are all great pretend kitchen supplies.

Dollar stores usually carry other kitchen items. You can buy a set of silverware or a set of wood cooking spoons, even dishes and mixing bowls. Check to see what other kitchen supplies you can find. Washed plastic utensils from takeout meals also make great play items. Check local thrift stores to see what kinds of dishes and supplies they have for sale.

Toy Cash Register

Almost every child loves and is fascinated with cash registers. If you can, try to find a real used cash register for sale in your area. If you cannot, you can make one from an old printing calculator. Attach the calculator to the top of a jewelry box or other box with a drawer in front. You can also find all types of money boxes for sale in office supply stores. You don't need to buy play money for your kids. Instead, encourage them to earn real money by doing extra chores.