household items as toddler toys

elisecohen

Thu, Dec 15 2005, 12:15 pm

This morning I grabbed a spring clip that I usually use for coffee and my almost 1 year old and I spent 45 minutes playing with it. First I clipped it to his clothes, so he could pull it off easily with one hand. Then I clipped it to his mutzetz, so he needed to pull with 2 hands. Then I clipped it to a board book and it was a whole new challenge--he had to figure out how to hold the 2 things at right angles and pull. He had so much fun, and each time he pulled the clip off it made a very satisfying "snap" noise.

So what do you have lying around that your little ones play with? Please send ideas this way!

cindy324

Thu, Dec 15 2005, 2:55 pm

all my tupperware--I keep them in a low cabinet with all their lids off next to them, my 14 month old loves to pull them all out and try to put the lids on.

She also loves to play with empty soda bottles(without the caps , of course--they're too small and they can stuff it into their mouth)

Rochel Leah

Thu, Dec 15 2005, 3:20 pm

my son also loeved to play with empty water/soda bottles.

Now he likes his tatty's gartel , he could spend a good 15 minutes, trying to wrap it around his waist/ hand

TzenaRena

Thu, Dec 15 2005, 3:43 pm

empty (finished) spools of thread. (They don't mind the ones with thread either but you probably would---) I used to sew when they were that age, and always had lots of those fascinating toys.

zigi

Thu, Dec 15 2005, 3:52 pm

bubble wrap its fun to jump on and to indiviually pop. tire pump my son likes to use it, oatmeal containers fun to roll and stack, empty cereal boxes and also big cardboard boxes. he likes to climb ib and out

Meema2Kids

Thu, Dec 15 2005, 3:54 pm

I'm a bad mommy Wink

I locked up my tupperware drawer because I was sick of picking them up and cleaning the containers (DS put ALL of them in his mouth). But my baby loves any plastic container I give him; yesterday he spent an hour putting in and taking out things from one of them. He also likes my broom. Too bad he can't actually sweep. LOL

Chanie

Mon, Dec 19 2005, 10:17 am

when my sister first moved to Israel, and took her son to gan the first day, she saw a big pile of empty cartons from an assortment of food and household products. My sisters first thought was, how awful, they cannot afford toys. but later she saw how none of the toys were ever touched. The kids always gravitated towards the "garbage".

1stimer

Thu, Dec 22 2005, 3:19 pm

Depends on who you ask Wink

If you ask my son, he loves playing with the dustbin, the toilet (read: stuffing things down the toilet), the toilet brush, any cupboard he can get into. Pulling the books from the bookshelf... Ahh... forbidden fruits!

He empties his draw of clothing onto a chair and then puts them back into the draw, BUT when he hears anyone coming though, he throws them all onto the floor Rolling Eyes

We have a big empty box (computer box) that I put him in, I then throw a bunch of sock-balls in with him. He throws them out. I also have a bucket which the sock-balls go into, we empty it and then he throws them back in.

If you have a small table you can cover it with a big sheet/blanket and it becomes his little house!

Paper is great, for scrunching, coloring on etc.

We've also used empty loo rolls for making different noises...

I have a cupboard in the kitchen where I keep empty (washed up) food containers that he can play with.

shayna82

Thu, Dec 22 2005, 3:53 pm

my son loves to play with the keyboard. last night my husband was holding him there, and he went crazy banging the letters. he actually managed to do some yahoo searching, and he changed the font of the lettering!!!!!!! hes just a baby!

raizy

Thu, Dec 22 2005, 10:51 pm

1st timer my son does the same shtich. pulls of my bedspread and pillows .. after I just finished making it. grabs my radio clock . etc. any pen and pencils is not safe in my house... purse...

he emtyies all the seferom ... now he is not happy with just emtying the lower one he graduted and stands on a chair and emtyies everyone in site. I am so sick of picking it all up. I just pile it all up on the table and every night my hubby has to pack it all away..

he loves the broom and shovel.. we have to ask him permission to use it.

he loves the mop a pail of water4. and water . he pulls his chair to it and plays for hrs bye the negal vasser tepel and water... no drawers cubboard or piece of clotthing is safe because he will get to it all.

he loves to stand bye the fridge and stack everything out of the fridge... dont worry hedoes not wnat to eat anything .

you cant even enter my home bc he pulls down all the shoes and that makes the door blocked...

with all these amusing toys who needs real toys...

Rivk

Fri, Dec 23 2005, 9:55 am

This thread reminds me of a list my sister and I once made.
You know you're living in your kids' house when:
- You need to cook supper so you go get your pots from the toy box
- You take a relaxing bath after a long day, and are accompanied by colorful, squeaky, squirty plastic toys, and you use your kid's bubble bath and shampoo
Anyone have anything to add?

Ahuva

Fri, Dec 23 2005, 11:43 am

A pushka with some Chocolate coins (he doesn't even know you can eat them) make a great toy. My 16 month old loves putting the coins in and spilling them out. Try a pushka with a hinged lid that they can open themselves or cut a little hole in a cover of a clean yougurt cup. He loves putting anything through the slot, (loose keys, chocolate coins, paper...)

raizy

Sat, Dec 24 2005, 11:49 pm

rivk u are a riot. I take a shower evey night with a zillion bath toys around me feet. if I want my tootbrush I go looking in the toy room ..

and if I want toothpaste then I have to hide it really well or the next day it wont be any left.

He*Sings*To*Me

Sat, Dec 24 2005, 11:59 pm

You know you're living with kids in the house when:

You go to grab a pen and get a crayon instead

You've replaced your Gucci with a Gucci-Gucci-Goo diaper bag

Reach in your pocket for tzedakah, and pull out a "sussie"

Every noun starts ending in "-ie"

Conversations with your mate start becoming S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E-S, so the kinderlach won't know what you're talking about!

Okay...whose next?!! Wink

elisecohen

Sun, Dec 25 2005, 8:22 am

You say those great brochos--"shehakol niyeh bidvaro-ie" (as my now 7 yr old was famous for in preschool)!

You consider board books and duplo to be design elements in your decorator scheme.

gryp

Wed, May 03 2006, 4:07 pm

my almost 3 year old just adopted an umbrella for his vaccum. the push button to put the umbrella up, is his on button.
Smile

he does a very thorough job I must say, knocking things off shelves and vaccuming the walls. Rolling Eyes