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Here are some ideas for making your own toys just in time for the holidays!
Feel and Tell Box
Cut two identical 2” squares of different textured materials such as velvet, corduroy, rug samples, sandpaper. Glue one square to the top of a shoe box. Glue the other square to a piece of cardboard and place inside the box. At the end of the she shoe box, cut a circle large enough for a child’s hand to reach in. The child then reaches in to feel a square and tries to match it to the lid without looking. The square can be removed from the box to see if the correct match is made or to make the game easier for small children.
Box Camera
Decorate a small box to look like a camera. A button can be used for the lens, yarn for the camera strap, and a red circle for the ‘on’ button. Cut a slit in the top of the box so that your ‘photos’ can be placed inside. ‘Photos’ can be magazine cut-outs, child’s drawings, or even real photos of your child. The child then takes the picture, counts to ten, and pulls out the ‘photo’.
Scoop Catch
Wash fabric softener bottle thoroughly and cut off the bottom on an angle. Decorate the scoop. Child grasps the scoop using bottle handle and tries to catch a ball. Younger children can roll the ball back and forth to each other with the scoops.
Believe it or not, the holiday season is just around the corner! Here are some ideas for your preschooler to make their own wrapping paper for future gift giving. Use non-toxic tempera paints. Suggested papers include large sheets of flip-chart paper, computer paper, rolls of plain brown or white paper.
Vegetable Prints
Cut some fruit and vegetables in half (potatoes, green peppers, apples, carrots) and have your child dip them into paint. Press the fruit/vegetable on a piece of paper to make designs.
Marble Painting
Put a marble into a yogurt container filled with some paint. Cut a piece of paper to fit the bottom of a shoe box. Place the marble into the shoe box and move it all around to make designs. This is a good activity for children who don’t like to get their hands dirty.
Hand Prints
Paint your child’s hands, and they can press them onto a sheet of paper. Have all family members do hand prints and compare sizes! Great idea for grandparents’ gifts – if you want to get really creative, add your foot prints too! (Keep a towel and a pail of water handy.)
Coloured Tissue Paper
Place two sheets of white tissue paper together. Fold many times until it is about 2” x 4”. Dip corners into dishes of water that has been coloured with food colouring. Carefully open, and allow the paper to dry on newspaper.
Sponge Painting
Cut an old sponge, and attach a spring clothespin. Dip sponge into paint and dab onto paper.
My children love sinking their hands in play dough, and on our first visit to the playroom, they made a bee-line for the play dough table. It smelled so good. It wasn’t sticky or gooey. It was the perfect consistency. It will last you a couple of weeks with no worries. I had to have the recipe. This stuff is way too easy to make. You’ll be making it for every tot you know! Trust me – this is the real deal.
PLAY DOUGH RECIPE
Mix together:
3 cups flour
1\2 cup salt
2 pkg. unsweetened kool aid
Add:
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp oil
Mix, knead and store in an air tight container. Enjoy!
Get creative. Add sparkles. For Valentine’s Day, make cherry red play dough. Make orange with black sparkles for Halloween. Add cinnamon for a sensory treat. Wrap up in little cellophane bags and ribbons with a few cookie cutters for birthday loot to take home. The ideas are endless!
Nadine Reeves, Administrative Assistant
