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Encourage Toddler Play without Breaking the Bank

May 21, 2020 | Leave a Comment

The toddler years from one to three are a time of tremendous growth.  Kids learn to walk, run, and explore their worlds.  They are curious, and both their minds and bodies are developing rapidly.  As a parent, giving your children safe ways to play and explore is important to their development.  At this age, you can find plenty of frugal ways to encourage toddler play without breaking the bank.

Encourage Toddler Play without Breaking the Bank

Low-Cost Supplies

There are so many low-cost supplies that you can stock your shelves with that will keep your child happy for hours.

Play-Doh

For less than $5, you can pick up a small set of Play-Doh for your toddler.  Play-Doh has definitely gotten fancier since my kids were toddlers.  Now you can buy Play-Doh with glitter in it and in a large variety of color.  Kids are usually happy playing with just Play-Doh, but if you want to spend a bit more, you can buy Play-Doh toys like a hair dresser shop or a gravel construction yard, for example.  You can also try your hand at making homemade playdough.

Finger Paint

If you have $8, you can buy a 6 pack of finger paint that will provide your child with artistic and sensory expression.  All of my children loved to finger paint when they were toddlers, but my middle child easily wanted to finger paint several times a week.  She still enjoys art, and I attribute it to all the time she spent finger painting when she was young.

Bubbles

This is likely the best way to encourage toddler play without breaking the bank.  Bubbles are ridiculously cheap, less than $1 for a small bottle, and yet your child can likely use them for at least a month.  He can experiment with how hard to blow to form the bubble or run and try to get the bubble to form.  Even better, mom or dad can blow bubbles while your toddler tries to catch them without popping them or runs through them.

Sidewalk Chalk

Sidewalk chalk is yet another way to let your little artist express herself.  You can get a box of 48 pieces of chunky chalk (perfect for little hands) for around $5.  These will last all summer, and your sidewalk or driveway is the perfect canvas.

Bath Supplies

After finger painting, my younger two kids’ favorite activity was taking a bath.  They loved to have the tub filled with bubbles to play in.  When the bubbles dissipated, they liked to play with their bath toys.  They could easily spend 45 minutes to an hour in the tub.  (Just make sure a parent stays in the room with them.)  You could buy the bubbles and a few toys for your kids for less than $20.  My girls’ favorite bath activity was using bath crayons to draw on the tub walls.

Doctor Kit

Many toddlers like playing doctor.  They take the stethoscope to your chest to check your breathing, they check your reflexes, and then they give you their diagnosis.  They also love it when you give them an exam.  These kits are a bit more expensive, around $20, but your child will likely use them quite a bit.  (We bought ours used at a garage sale for $1, which is another great way to save money).

Make It Yourself

There are other ways to encourage toddler play without breaking the bank.  Namely, instead of buying something, make it yourself!

Calm/Glitter Bottles

Many toddlers are fascinated with calm/glitter bottles and can spend a surprising amount of time tipping them from side to side.  Making a calm bottle is not difficult; there are plenty of tutorials online.

Once you buy the ingredients, you likely have enough to make several bottles.  Once your child tires of one, make a new one in a different color with different items inside.  Even though this tutorial only had glitter, I’ve seen calm bottles filled with a variety of items like large stars to give them some more visual appeal.

Bowling Set

Another idea for outdoor fun is to make a toddler bowling set.  You’ll need some empty water bottles and a ball.  Your toddler can practice knocking them down.  He’ll love it if you play with him.

The nice thing about a homemade bowling set is not only that it’s frugal, but if one bowling pin gets damaged, it’s easy to replace.

https://youtu.be/PHm4jK6x_sg

Sensory Play

There are a host of reasons why sensory play is beneficial for kids, not the least of which is that it helps develop connections in the brain and encourages imaginative play.

Probably the easiest one is to buy a can of shaving cream.  When my kids were about three, I’d put a light layer of shaving cream on a cookie sheet, and they practiced writing their letters in the shaving cream.  They loved the sensation, and they were learning at the same time.

Another less messy way to do this is to put a bit of shaving cream and a drop or two of dye in a gallon plastic freezer bag.  (Don’t fill it too much!)  Then kids can write their letters in the cream, but they do so on top of the bag so they still get sensory input, but there’s no mess for parents to clean up.

There are plenty of sensory play ideas online.

Don’t Forget the Books!

While it’s very important to encourage play in your toddlers, don’t forget to also read aloud to your child daily, the more the better.  The stories that you read aloud to your child now will eventually lead to imaginative play later.

I read aloud to my children frequently, and when my girls were in first and second grade, we read the entire Little House on the Prairie series.  They had the discipline to sit through those books because they were used to being read to.  For the next few years, much of their imaginative play was based on what they learned through those books.

Final Thoughts

Children under the age of three experience a phenomenal amount of brain and body growth in these important years.  Starting now, make sure to give your child plenty of safe opportunities to play and learn.

Melissa Batai
Melissa Batai

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.

Filed Under: Education, Growing Up, Parenting Tagged With: frugal and fun, long-lasting toys for toddlers, toddlers

My #1 Brand of Choice for Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers

November 28, 2016 | Leave a Comment

My #1 brand of choice for long-lasting toys for toddlersWhat do toddlers love? Getting into EVERYTHING. That’s why I want my money to go toward products that will inspire my curious kids, entertain them, and last longer than three days. Therefore, here is my all-time favorite brand of long-lasting toys for toddlers.

My #1 Brand of Choice for Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers

When my kids receive an invite to a birthday party (especially if they’re toddlers), I head straight toward one particular section in the toy department first:

Melissa & Doug.

Why I Recommend Melissa & Doug Toys Above the Competition

I can’t help it; their products win me over time and time again. Here is a breakdown of my top reasons why:

  • They’re well made. The durable craftsmanship of each toy and the use of wood and metal instead of plastic ensures that these are long-lasting toys for toddlers and older.
  • They teach a skill. Each toy or activity I’ve come across in the Melissa & Doug line inspire the child to use her imagination, explore her problem-solving skills, or improve hand-eye coordination.
  • They’re better for the environment. With the longer lifespan of each toy and the use of natural products instead of plastic, the carbon signature is greatly reduced.
  • They help kids focus. My go-to toys for road trips, waiting rooms, or long lines at the grocery store are Melissa & Doug. With their colorful and creative designs, they hold children’s attention spans. That drew me since I know how important it is to teach children to focus at a young age.
  • They help kids have fun without using a screen. No technology. No flashing lights. No batteries. I love that my kids can enjoy toys like these for hours each day without seeing any of the side effects of too much screen time.

If you’ve never shopped for Melissa & Doug toys before, here a few great toys to try first. I’ve seen positive results with each of my children, and even their friends when they come over to play. Whether they’re in the car, playing right beside me, or alone in quiet time, these toys are a continual source of fun in our home.

Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers – Ages 1 to 2 Years

  1. Chunky Puzzles. The great thing about these early learning puzzles is that little fingers can grasp the pieces easily and figure out where they go. Both of my children learned the art of puzzling first from a Melissa & Doug 8-piece Chunky Puzzle (and they still play with it).
  2. Activity Boards. Like puzzles, these sturdy and colorful activity boards offer toddlers a chance to buckle, bolt, snap, lock, and latch as fast as their tiny hands can manage it. This is an exceptional activity to promote hand-eye coordination and, if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself tempted to put the activity board together, too, when no one’s watching. ::cough:: So that’s just me, then?…

Long-Lasting Toys for Toddlers – Ages 2 to 3 Years

  1. No-Mess Painting Craft. Did I mention how much I love taking Melissa & Doug products on road trips? The kids love painting with these Melissa & Doug On the Go Water Activity Books. They simply use a brush with water inside and the colors appear on the pages. After a few minutes, the colors fade and the children can paint on them again. This has been great for my 3-year-old who can write her alphabet and numbers, largely in thanks to the ABC and 123 Water Activity Books we own.
  2. “Make-Believe Play” Toys. My niece recently received a Melissa & Doug Christmas Cookie set. I watched throughout the rest of the night as she walked around the room offering each family member a wooden Christmas cookie with a huge grin on her face. It’s so fun to make believe and to do so with such adorable toys. For example, if you’re a coffee drinker, your child might like to become a little barista with this Melissa & Doug Wooden Brew & Serve Coffee Set.

These are only a few options of things your children might enjoy. I shared them because they are the ones my own children have enjoyed. Now, I encourage you to browse around and try one out for your own toddler. I bet he or she will have a lot of fun with it for a long time.

What long-lasting toys for toddlers have you found? Share them in the comments below!

Image Credit: Tiffany Terry (Creative Commons)

This post contains affiliate links.

Filed Under: Family Time, Green Living, Parenting, Product Reviews for Parents, Shopping, Toys and Games Tagged With: long-lasting toys for toddlers, Melissa & Doug, puzzles, toys for 2-year-olds, wooden toys

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Basic Principles Of Good Parenting

Here some basic principles for good parenting:

  1. What You Do Matters: Your kids are watching you. So, be purposeful about what you want to accomplish.
  2. You Can’t be Too Loving: Don’t replace love with material possessions, lowered expectations or leniency.
  3. Be Involved Your Kids Life: Arrange your priorities to focus on what your kid’s needs. Be there mentally and physically.
  4. Adapt Your Parenting: Children grow quickly, so keep pace with your child’s development.
  5. Establish and Set Rules: The rules you set for children will establish the rules they set for themselves later.  Avoid harsh discipline and be consistent.
  6. Explain Your Decisions: What is obvious to you may not be evident to your child. They don’t have the experience you do.
  7. Be Respectful To Your Child: How you treat your child is how they will treat others.  Be polite, respectful and make an effort to pay attention.
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