Homemade Toys

When it comes to young kids homemade toys are often just as good or better than store bought and they are much more frugal.  We all know that at a child's first Birthday or Christmas they seem to enjoy the paper and box that the toy came in more than the actual toy itself.  Below are two things I made for LK.  The smaller bottle is a shaker made from an old plastic spice container.  I filled it with some beans and lentils from my kitchen and taped the lid closed.  Simple and easy.  Of all the rattles and shakers we have this one is his favorite.  He can see the things inside and he enjoys shaking it around. 

The coke bottle I filled half full with water and put a couple drops of blue food colouring in it.  Then I put about 1/3 cup of oil in.  This one even the girls enjoy playing with as they shake it around and then watch the oil and water separate.  It has spawned some science discussion as they ask why the oil and water do not mix.  (Although the answer is beyond even me, it has something to do with water being charged positively on the oxygen end, and negatively on the hydrogen end. Oil does not have a charge (it's neutral), so the oil does not mix with the water.)

So there you go.  Some simple homemade toys that cost pennies to make.