Play-spiration

Today I have a few ideas for using upcycled found materials to make some toys for enquiring minds. My little man loves to "post" things at the moment. Blocks go into a box or basket then get tipped or place out then back in again. If only I could train the teenager this way!

Sorting and posting are a developmental milestone and a popular play activity for 1-2 year olds. Children are learning about volume, space, measuring, colours, sorting and matching as well as the fine motor development in manipulating the items.

Here some ideas!

Here we have a big cane basket, an egg carton and a muffin tin. In the basket, I put patty cases, lids from baby bottles and some papier mache balls. Logie loved this activity the best. He discovered the balls fit inside the lids and delighted in repeating this action for about an hour.

Tissue boxes are great for posting items like blocks, lids and here is some scarves. Bubs can put them in and take them out. Also for a great sensory activity add different sorts of materials like lace, satin, cotton etc. Don't go to any expense! I use old clothes, doilies from the op shop and old ties from the Hubbies wardrobe. You can go to a bit more effort and cover the tissue box in wrapping paper and clear contact. Makes it a bit prettier but honestly the Bubs don't mind : )  

This is a old milk jug with 2 holes cut out. I covered the edges with electrical tape so they weren't sharp and thats it. Things to post? Blocks, lego, bottle tops from baby bottles, balls, anything!!!

This is just a nappy box with a hole cut in the side. Again you could cover it but i like Pooh Bear anyway : )  The posting items are family photo's from a cheap photo album. You can cover photos or pictures from magazines with contact and it works great too. Logie like to drag this over to his ball pit and fill it up with balls, uses it as a walker and slides it across the floor, sits in it and his Dada pushes him around like a race car, puts it on his head and plays peek a boo.....you get the drift. 

The idea is to give your Bubba open ended materials. This means things that can be used in different ways. This is where the Fisher Price toys fall down. The kids play with them once or twice and then???

Give them a cardboard box and a few scraps of material and watch them create their own learning.

Also did a cute little setup to encourage Logie's creative side. He is just starting to "get" drawing and was so excited to make marks on the paper today. These crayons Faber Castell crayons are great for little hands. Make sure you use large, thick paper so they don't rip or miss the paper. The bottle next to the owl was made from a 2 Litre empty Pepsi Bottle with paint poured in. When it gets rolled around the paint spreads, fun!

Hope this helps inspire some creativity, especially in this rainy, cold weather x x x