Make your own toys

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With so many toy options in the shops these days, you may not have even considered trying to make your own toys. Homemade toys can be much cheaper than store-bought options, and you’ll have lots of fun making them with your child. There are plenty of toys and games you can make, and in many cases all you’ll need to do is look around the house or garage for a few supplies. If you’re short of time it may be as simple as pulling some bowls and utensils out of the kitchen and using them as musical instruments.

If you’ve got plenty of time to kill on a rainy weekend making toys is a fun way to use it up. You can make your own plush toys easily using leftover scraps of fabric and buttons, or buy these items cheaply before you begin. A magnetic blackboard (complete with character magnets) is easy to make and will provide your child years of fun and learning.

Play dough is a hit with kids of various ages; it’s cheap and takes less than 30 minutes to make a batch that will give your child hours of enjoyment and learning. Shaping playdough is a great way for kids to develop fine motor skills, that is, to learn to use their fingers properly.

You could make your own games. To make a game of ‘pin the tail’ or a board game, all you need is some paper or cardboard, coloured pens, pencils or paints and a bit of creativity. Print your own number or shapes flash cards, or try your hand at making a colour matching game with pegs or a set of traffic lights to play road safety games.

Outdoor kids’ toys and games are also easy to make. If you need to fill in 10-15 minutes get a bucket and a few small objects that your child can throw into the bucket standing behind a line- a fun way to develop hand-eye coordination. Or if you have a little more time make a kite using sticks, paper and string.