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Dirt – free (optional
accessories: bucket, $0.99 and shovel, $0.79)
You don’t even have to go to a store to get dirt. It’s
everywhere, free for the taking! There’s some in the yard, there’s some at the
beach, there’s lots at the playground. Kids can shovel it, roll around in it,
scuff their feet in it, or add water and make it into pies. It comes in
multiple colors, from black to brown to red to beige. And it’s completely washable!
And non-toxic! (Well, mostly.)
Bubbles - $0.99
Hardly
a day goes by that one or the other of my kids doesn’t beg me to let them blow
bubbles – or to blow bubbles for them. My 3-year-old is fascinated by the fact
that I can blow single, giant bubbles rather than the stream of tiny ones that
she’s just beginning to master. So she’ll blow some for herself for a while, then she’ll hand me the wand and request, “Blow
a giant bubble, Mama!!”
We blow bubbles outside and watch them drift through the
yard; we blow them in the kitchen and get a clean kitchen floor in the process;
we blow them while sitting on the potty to help, ahem, move the action along.
We blow them with wands, with straws and string, and with bubble guns. We love
bubbles.
Paper Towel Tubes –
free with purchase
One of the most exciting moments of the week in my house is
when I get to the end of a roll of paper towels. I can actually bribe my
children by promising the most well-behaved one the next empty roll. In their
hands, it becomes a musical instrument, a pirate’s telescope, a drumstick, a
hat, a long claw, a sword, and anything else their imaginations can come up
with. And around the same time that it starts to lose its appeal, it also starts to fall apart and can
be tossed in the recycle bin with no hard feelings.
A Recorder - $5
Although considerably less of a delight to parents (and dogs
within a 2-mile radius), a recorder is a joy to all children. Even a cheap
recorder is capable of making lovely, tuneful sounds, but in the hands of a
small child, it can also produce glass-shattering squeals and squeaks at
impressive decibel levels. Whether marching in an imaginary parade, sitting on
the sofa, or following Mom around the house, playing a recorder is one of the
most satisfying (not to mention one of the loudest) experiences a child can
have.
Scotch Tape - $1.50
I once read that when taking a long plane or car trip with
small children, you could keep them entertained with small pieces of scotch
tape. And I soon discovered that any time my kids were bored, I could simply
give them a few strips of scotch tape and they would stay busy for hours at a
time. My daughter prefers to stick small pieces across her nose and mouth; my
son likes to wrap long lengths around his waist and ankles. Occasionally they’ll
tag team me and cover my entire body in small bits of tape, giggling
uproariously the whole time. At ten cents a yard, it’s worth every penny.
Packing Materials –
free with purchase
As an introvert and an Amazon Prime member, I get a lot of
packages shipped to my house. And the vast majority of them come with some kind
of packing material. Amazon.com tends to pack with long strips of inflated plastic
pillows that are just the right size for little feet to jump on. Other vendors
prefer old-fashioned bubble wrap, which is just the right size for little
fingers to pinch. Occasionally, a really old-school vendor will ship something
surrounded by white or pink Styrofoam packing peanuts and their accompanying
halo of static cling. Whatever the packing material, the physical challenge and
the audio reward are just the right combination for hours of fun. And when you’re
done, just stick them back in a box and send them off to someone else!
Board Game Pieces – $8-$12
The gingerbread men from Candyland. The Sesame Street
characters from Chutes and Ladders. The dog, the iron, the racecar, and the top
hat from Monopoly. The pink and blue pegs from Life. The penguins from Penguin
Pile Up. At some point in time, my daughter has been completely enamored with
each of these sets of game pieces. She sobbed inconsolably when we lost the
blue Candyland gingerbread man for several hours (he was eventually found, safe
and sound, at the bottom of my purse). She steals Cookie Monster from her
brother every single time he and I sit down to play Chutes and Ladders. I once
found two tiny contraband penguins in her pocket after we’d been playing games at
a friend’s house. These games may go for $8-$12, but the lovable cast of
characters inside the box are worth much, much more.
The outlay for all seven items on this list will probably
run you less than 25 bucks, and that even includes a bonus roll of paper towels. And
you get to keep the board game, although I’m not sure how much good it will do
you when the iron, the dog, and the top hat are busy having a tea party with
the gingerbread men.
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