Tried and True Toys and Activities for Children

by Lois Breneman - 1999 - Heart to Heart

Although there are so many new toys that you may think your child or grandchild just has to have, don’t forget these basic toys and activities that have been proven over years and years, to be favorites of children – and no batteries are required!  Many of these items can be found at yard sales and cleaned up, and your children won’t care one bit that you didn’t pay the full price.

BLOCKS of all colors, sizes and shapes – lots of them!  Even empty salt boxes can be saved up for a great construction tool.  I recommend that you remove the metal spout as a safety measure and cover at least the top with colorful contact paper.  Then use different blocks together.  Even picking up the blocks is a good lesson in sorting for your children.

LEGOS are for girls too – not just boys.  Just a few of the creative expressions are cars, trucks, houses, cities, castles, rocket ships, trains, people, or frames around clocks.  The ideas are endless!

ERECTOR SETS, LINCOLN LOGS and TINKERTOYS are other tried and true toys that teach creativity.

PUZZLES are great fun for all ages, while at the same time teaching logic and patience. To encourage very young children, take turns putting a piece in the right place, like a game.  They love to do that and are so proud of their accomplishment when they get it all put together.

GAMES, like puzzles, are for all ages, and teach sportsmanship as well as getting along with others.  Time spent playing games is a great way to bring family members of different generations together.

BALLS can be used to kick, throw, shoot through a hoop, roll, bounce and even sit on.   Endless possibilities!

BOXES are always a favorite of small children, much to the dismay of their parents who have bought an expensive gift, only to see their toddler toss it aside and play with the box for hours!   Make use of boxes as toys and let your kids use their imagination!  If you can find a very large box, why not cut out a door and a few windows for a play house?  My dad made us a great playhouse with a floor one summer and that is a special childhood memory for me.  My sister and I still talk about that and and how we remember the smell of peanut butter sandwiches eaten in that special hideout with our dolls!

SMALL BUCKETS or small plastic boxes are great for putting in and taking out, a favorite of toddlers.  Plastic is good because it makes a noise, which they love.  Save those bright colorful lids from liquid laundry detergents – bright orange, yellow, red, blue, turquoise and white.  They can also be used in the bathtub as well as in the sand, and they're free!

A DRESS-UP BOX with dress-up clothes from Goodwill, thrift shops and garage sales.  You might want to keep them in a big old suitcase to be used in pretending to go on trips.  Stair steps can be the seats of an airplane!  You could play Hawaiian or Mexican music, depending on the destination of their pretend trip.

A CRAFT BOX with crayons, colored pencils, paints, markers, scissors, stickers, glue, paper, and other art supplies will go a long way in providing hours of creativity for your children!  Have another box of things that you save for them to use to make any kind of contraption they desire.  Save paper plates, empty salt boxes, egg cartons, string, yarn, cardboard, old cards, plastic wrap tubes, and all kinds of things you have saved for creative play.

CLAYS in the form of playdough, salt ceramics, cornstarch clay, flour and salt dough and many others will provide fun and creativity.  Books in the library will give even more ideas in this area.

DOLLS teach young children how to be caring and loving.  A bed can be made from a shoebox and covered with contact paper or glued on fabric.  Then make a small blanket.  Time spent creating toys with your children is a memory maker too.

PUPPETS and MUPPETS can be handmade or purchased for lots of creative fun!  Find a book in the library on puppets and make a cardboard theater for puppet shows.   This could be a special feature at your children’s birthday parties too. 

A TOY CASH REGISTER, TOY MONEY AND A TOY SHOPPING CART are the beginning of your children’s own store!  Save empty food boxes.  Children could add price stickers and learn math better while they have fun.  Until children are old enough for the math, they can still have fun with a shopping cart, play food and cash register.

A TENT made from a folding table is a favorite of very young children, even if it’s just for hiding from everyone and playing peek-a-boo!  Drape a large blanket or quilt over the table.   Or you could sew a tent from heavy fabric, and include a door and windows to drape over a table! 

A BUG JAR, CRITTER CAGE AND A MAGNIFYING GLASS will provide an outlet for exploration and learning. 

A SAND BOX with scoops, shovels, cars, trucks, buckets, and even a little water to be extra creative will fill many hours with fun!  Save peanut butter buckets and colorful lids from liquid laundry detergents for the sand box.

A TREE HOUSE built with Daddy as a special project and years of fun!

A SPECIAL GARDEN SPOT for each child, if room is available, will teach planning, responsibility, appreciation for God’s vital role in growth, as well as pride and joy as your family eats the fruit of your children’s labor!  I remember as a young child having my own little garden with marigolds, portulacas and other plants.  As a result, gardening has been an enjoyable part of my entire life.

BOOKS, last but certainly not least, are one of the most important items you can purchase for your children!  Read to them each day, beginning with pointing and talking about simple pictures as early as four months!