{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 30: Box

You read it right.  How about giving a really big, really cool box to a toddler as a gift.  You wouldn't think so, but there are a whole lot of things that a child can do with a box, and they will find those ways.  You can help them create a house, rocket ship, truck, boat, fort, comfy reading spot, the largest coloring/painting surface they've ever seen, and so much more.  Give them a large box with a set of paint and paintbrushes and a promise to help them turn it into whatever they wish.

Where should you get your box?  Call around to local furniture stores or places with large appliances and ask if they will save you a large box.  I'm almost betting that they will, as most places just put their boxes out for recycling.  What an inexpensive and easy gift that kids will go crazy for!

Create With Your Hands:  Creativity with Cardboard Boxes

{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 29: Flannel Board and Felt Pieces

Believe me when I tell you this:  I have not met a toddler that does not love a flannel board (also sometimes called a story board or felt board).  My mom made Greyson one for his second birthday and he loves it.  He will play with it for an hour at a time, creating his own scenes and stories with the felt pieces.  You could purchase a flannel/felt/story board, but you can save lots of money and have a better quality board by making your own!  Make sure to check out my simple flannel board tutorial.

If you're not into making your own flannel board, here are a few options that won't break the bank.  Make sure to get some felt pieces to use with the board!

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 28: Cooperative Games

Cooperative games are great for toddlers, if they are ready.  Usually, depending on the child of course, they are ready by 3 to start learning the many skills it requires for cooperative games.

Skills:

• cooperation
• following directions
• taking turns
• life skills (winning/losing)
• concept skills (colors, shapes, counting, etc.)

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 27: Shape Sorters

This is a classic toy that has survived the test of time.

Skills:

• problem solving
• fine motor
• shapes
• colors

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 26: Shape Roller Coasters

I actually had to look up what the "technical" name for this awesome toy was, which just so happens to be "shape roller coaster" (also seen as a "bead maze").  I lovingly refer to them as the "Waiting Room Shape Thingy", because you can find them in any waiting room that may have children in it.  Amazingly, they aren't just available for doctors' offices to purchase!

Skills:

• shapes
• colors
• fine motor

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 24: Puppets

Puppets are awesome (even for adults) good fun, and they are a simple, imagination inducing gift for toddlers and children.  Folkmanis puppets are my favorite because they are so detailed and often-times very realistic, and we are lucky to have many in our house because Barefoot Books sells them!  Greyson loves his Folkmanis bunny finger puppet he got for Easter.

There are lots of options when giving a puppet for a gift.  My favorite (of course) is pairing it with a book.  

Barefoot Books Puppets

Skills:

• fine motor
• gross motor
• pretend play

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 22: Trains and Tracks

Trains seem to be a staple toy of a little boys life, but don't forget that little girls love things that go too!  When it comes to trains and train tracks, there are lots of options out there.  I tend to gravitate towards the wooden sets, mostly because they are sturdier and much nicer to deal with than the plastic variety, but they also seem to last forever.  My mother-in-law has a wooden train set that was my husbands (ahem...almost 28ish years ago) that is in near perfect condition still.  In fact, it's Greyson's favorite thing to play with when he goes to Mamaw and Papaw's house.

It's important to remember that when thinking about a train set, less can be much, much more.  I've seen many toddlers get completely overwhelmed by hundreds of pieces of track and never able to keep it together just perfectly.  Most of the time, they are perfectly content with a simple 8 piece track that they can easily get together and manage themselves.  It's nice to add track pieces as they get older, too.

Skills:  

• pretend play
• fine motor
• imagination

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 21: Toy Vehicles

Toy vehicles are a perfect pretend play toy.  Most kids envy the fact that the adults in their lives can drive, and love to pretend that they are in the driver's seat.  Toy vehicles give them that fun experience, while also working on several other skills and having fun.

My sister and I used to line up wooden blocks to use as roads, and I recently taught Greyson how to do this with his vehicles.  He loves it!  Another perfect pairing with toy vehicles is a road rug or road mat that has roads printed on it for driving.  

Skills:

• fine motor
• pretend play
• imagination 

 

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 9: Costumes and Dress Up Clothing

Who didn't love to dress up as a kid?  Actually, who doesn't love to dress up?  Dress-up is good for so many things and it's fun.  Costumes and dress up clothing are great gifts for toddlers because at this age, children are learning how to pretend.

Let me tell you a fabulous costume/dress up clothing secret:  Halloween is 2 months before Christmas.  Stores like Target and Walmart put their Halloween costumes on deep discounts November 1st, and each day after the discounts get deeper and deeper.  In fact, I got Greyson two costumes at Walmart this year at a whopping 90% off 8 days after Halloween.  (Yes it was that good that it needed to be bolded, italicized, and underlined).  So for a total of $1.46, Greyson now has a ninja costume and a superhero costume for his dress-up bin.

If you've missed the amazing sales at your local stores, here are some other great costume options for you.

Skills:

• dramatic play
• life skills

    

  

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 3: Wooden Blocks

Wooden blocks are one of the most versatile simple toys.  You can do so much with them, and they incite so much imagination that it's hard for adults not to play with them too!

I recently paid very close attention to Emma and Greyson playing with our wooden castle blocks.  Emma was counting each block as she stacked them and Greyson was lining the fence blocks up and pushing them like a train (complete with choo choo noises).  It's important to note that these two behaviors were not prompted whatsoever.  This is the perfect example of authentic play bringing out a child's imagination!

Emma practicing counting and Greyson making a "choo choo".

There are many different kinds of wooden blocks, it's almost impossible to pick the "wrong" ones!  Here are a few that I find great choices.

Skills:

• fine motor
• pretend play
• colors, shapes, counting, etc.

A Few Things to Do with Wooden Blocks:

• stack them
• knock them down
• sort them
• count them
• build castles
• build towers
• build creatures
• build roads to drive cars
• more, and more, and more!

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{30 Days of Simple Toddler Toys} Day 2: Play-Dough

You'll notice that I spelled Play-Dough incorrectly in the title of this post, but it was completely on purpose.  There are so many, and I mean so many types of play-dough that I do not just mean the branded Play-Doh that most people think of.  Also try Moon Sand, Play Foam, and/or Modeling Clay.

        

There are also many easy recipes out there for play dough that can make a much more personalized and fun gift for the children in your family.  Here are just a few of our favorites that can be altered easily for different children:

Skills:

• fine motor
• sensory
• pretend play

Cloud Dough (comparable to Moon Sand)

(recipe from Kiwi Crate)

Materials:  

-baby oil (1/4 cup)

-flour (2 cups)

Directions:

1.  Mix together, and enjoy!

Play Dough (comparable to Play Doh)

(recipe all over the internet, but I use from Buggy and Buddy)

Materials:

-1 cup flour

-1 cup water

-1/2 cup salt

-1 Tbsp cream of tartar

-1 Tbsp oil (I used vegetable oil)

-food coloring

-any scents or glitter (optional)

Directions:

1.  Mix all ingredients together.  Add glitter or other scents to personalize.

2.  Stir over medium heat continuously until it forms a ball.

3.  Dump out onto wax or parchment paper until it cools.

4.  Knead a bit until it is fully mixed and enjoy!

Yummy Dough

Edible play dough!

Materials:  

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup peanut butter

-1 Tbsp. granola (optional)

-bowl

Directions:

1.  Measure brown sugar and peanut butter into the bowl.

2.  Squeeze with hands to mix.  If too sticky, add more brown sugar.  If too dry, add more peanut butter.

3.  Add granola (optional), and enjoy!

No matter what kind of dough you are going to give as a gift, it's perfect to pair it with some cookie cutters, rollers, and dough utensils to explore.  This is the set we have on G's list because it is heavy duty and unique.

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