Cheap toys for Baby???.........

Melissa22_Mum

Hello.....


I have a six month old and inbetween washing, cleaning, shopping, sorting out two dogs and cleaning up after them! etc, she wants to be entertained!
I don't mind a few hours a day with her one to one but it does get exhausting in between everything else I have to do. She has a baby walker and a bouncy chair as well as plastic toys and teethers but she gets quite bored with them. Shes at the "everything goes in my mouth stage..." and frequently enjoys going along all the radiators in the house and taking all the clean washing with her, in her walker that is, and dragging them round dribbling on it!

I can't afford a playpen, there so expensive and I don't have a penny to spare at the moment!

CAN ANYONE SUGGEST ANY HOME MADE TOYS THAT I CAN GIVE TO HER, I'D GIVE HER POTS AND PANS AND A WOODEN SPOON BUT SHE'D PROBABLY POKE HER EYE OUT!

suggestions appreciated!!!!

Thanks Melissa
x x

mellyp

the following link may have some ideas for you.

http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02apr15f.cfm

HTH

hex2

Melissa,

I spent stupid money on buying things mine hardly touched. I also let them destroy my nice saucepans with wooden spoons which does nothing for the non-stick.

Plastic sandwich type boxes are good, make nice noises and can be safely chewed. Water in a tub is good if you dont mind the mess. Water in a bottle is fascinating if you make sure the lid is tightly on.

Try putting rice or lentils in an old baby milk tin - tape the lid firmly on and you have a drum or rattle to whack with hands and wooden spoon. Cant do much harm chewing it.

I wasted money buying books on things to do with small children and found I got very little out of them other than a play dough recipe. Got a good baby makes book from borders which was a knit/sew things and quite good. Join the library? They dont mind too much if you take things back chewed

Tell people you are after toys? I have stacks of stuff taking up space we dont have that my one and two year old have grown out of. I dont know anyone else who is having first baby, and I am too busy to do anything about selling them or even donating them to the local toy library. People are so generous if they know you are looking - if not they may think they will offend you.

Hope this helps.

Rikki

Tupperware container with some rice in to make a noise when shaked. Put different things in a few so the make different noises.

Melissa22_Mum

CHEERS PEOPLE!!!

very helpful try some of those ideas tomorrow!!!!!!

Melissa xx

She plays with toys i've bought for her but she's more interested in household things anyway! She doesn't see mummy playing with silly toys and babys love to copy parents!!!!

john0612

Hi melissa,
Our 8month old has toys in every room nearly, considering these toys cost £5, £10 upwards per item, we must have spent a coulpe of hundred pounds including a playpen. He gets bored of everything so quickly and to be honest the money could have been spent on other things but i'm sure all of us don't grudge our children anything.
The toys get tossed aside and his favourate toy is the remote control for the tv.
Slippers too have some desire to my wee boy as does banging the pedal bin while in his walker, basically if it's safe and fun let them enjoy it that's my opinion.

fsdss

if you've got a travel cot, try using that as a play pen, also our little 8mth old today has spent half an hour playing with the socks and the dog bowl......lovely.

you could try making a shaker as previously advised, or glue some pictures from magazines onto old card (such as cereal boxes) but make sure the glue is non toxic....babies love these its like home made books, as long as their colourful.

empty boxes with a baby toy inside will keep her inquisitive, my little one will spend ages trying to get in there

its late whilst i'm writing this and im tired so if i think of anything else i'll put a post in again

Alleycat

Hi,

My daughter is nearly 8 months and is into everything as well! We just had to buy a fireguard today as I caught her trying to get at the coals !!

You could get different materials like cord, string, old bit of plastic clothes line (basically lots of different textures) and tie them in a bunch. Jessica loves this new 'toy' at the moment and I know it is safe for her to gum as much as she likes. Also, tea towels, muslins - I'm amazed at how much time she spends examining them and their labels. I also give her kitchen utensils like wooden spoons, fish slice (plastic), potato masher to play with when she is in her highchair whilst I clean/cook in the kitchen.

Theres something I read about recently called Heuristic play, which despite the dodgy name is actually quite fun. You basically get a box and fill it with random things like pegs, bits of material, pine cones and they can explore. Just have a mooch around the house and you will be amazed at how much can be played with and still be safe for them!

Alley

Oh and Jessica finds CD's absolutely fascinating!

john0612

update:

I made a shaker today using an old bottle and some dried peas, by god this was like xmas to callum, loved to roll it around then shake it like mad lol.

Will need to see what else i can make up for him, he loves labels too lol.

ehlittleone

Hi

Mine is 10 months and having the same problems as you trying to keep her amused.

Just a suggestion she loves a balloon, keeps her amused for 10 minutes at least!!! I also tried some bubbles with her the other day but they upset her, I think because when she tried to grab them they popped, but might be worth a try with yours.

Her favourite toy is the remote control too, I've lost count at the times I've needed to retune something on the tele. And how do they know that you've taken the batteries out!!!

kit

Baby kit is 6 months and LOVES bubbles - it doesnt really help you get any thing done as you have to be there to blow them but it does keep them quiet for a while!

She is also really in to kitchen roll - strange but true. She got her hands on a roll and sat playing with it (and trying to eat it) for ages.

Lastly she loves banging things - try a saucepan and a wooden spoon, its unlikely that baby will do any really damage with it. If you dont want to wreck a saucepan then use a tupperwear container.

If you get any other good ideas please let me know - I'm running out of options!