We always said if you buy the kids a toy, they'll play with the box it came in... and they did. They loved turning boxes into cars, playhouses, etc. Even babies get creative with everyday items. When my cousin was little, he used to love to play with the Lids from POTS AND PANS. He also loved plastic lids. My aunt would save the tops from plastic containers from yogurt and such, and he had a big basket full of them. This is a child that had every toy imaginable, yet you'd find him playing with his bucket of lids. I think it's great when kids are creative like that and can have fun with anything. So, don't feel bad if your kids don't have tons of toys. Help them learn to use their imaginations and have fun with everyday stuff.
Yes, I think that it'd be better if we have them create their own toys, or make something on an ordinary household item that's safe for them to play with. But I think the already made toys that older use to give them also help to trigger their imagination and hence their creativity.
I loved playing with my grandma's tin full of buttons when I went to her house. Granted, I wouldn't give that to a child under 3 because of the small pieces, but it's fun to sort them and play with them. And my toddler loves pulling tissues out of the tissue box. Although, that only keeps her busy for a few seconds before she's on to the next thing!
With all the recycling and upcycling stuff these days, there are lots of cute toys and play things that can be made from stuff that would otherwise go into the garbage. Have you seen some of the cute sewn dolls or felted food, or cars and trucks made from boxes and cartons? I think it's cool to make something fun from pretty much nothing. The kids can have hours of fun with it, it makes less waste, and it's kind of free.
The trucks made from cartons, kids love those. I don't know why. They'd have some cute store bought toy truck but should someone make them an ugly one from a carton then they'll like that one better. Maybe children just love simple things?
It's a great option to make a child create something out of nothing. Not because you're trying to deprive your kids but because you want them to build their imagination. So, I'm entirely behind giving a kid a box. Based on my experience: My guy is an artist & I've tested this theory. I had him draw some of my kids favourite characters on a cardboard box & behold it worked better than the things I bought. At a point it really depends on the age.
I once worked at a Daycare, and we would turn the kids loose with what basically amounted to a pile of junk and see what they would come up with. Not only did it keep them busy, but it also showed us just how creative little ones can be. Most of them would stay busy for quite a long time, just doing what they do. It's pretty cool to watch kids use their imagination.
Its funny that the OP brought up a box. I remember one Christmas my brothers and sisters along with myself wanted to play with a large box that one of our presents came in. We were actually arguing about who gets to play with it next. Our father made the comment that next Christmas he wasn't going to get us any toys he would just get us some boxes. The thing is we had a vivid imagination while growing up so having a box or a bowl or even a pile of dirt could be something we imagined it to be.
Children have such vivid imaginations they can turn anything into a toy. I'm all for letting them use random objects like boxes, planks and cloth as toys, but you should always keep a lookout for any sharp edges, loose nails etc. that could pose a safety hazard and remove them from such objects before giving them to children to play with.
I definitely agree with you! It always amazed me to see children playing with things that we thought of as going into the trash bin. Pillows and blankets are some of things that my children like to play with too, along with the couch cushions. They made these items into a playhouse and very contented with it.
A few years ago, I visited a cousin over the holiday period. she's got three kids so you can imagine how much she had spent on Christmas gifts for them. After the initial excitement of unwrapping the presents, the children proceeded to spend the rest of the day playing with the empty boxes, completely ignoring the expensive gifts!
It is great to read through these posts. Your comments prove that children still have imaginations. I fear when they are introduced to technology and given too much screen time those imaginations get lost. My two year old has tons of store bought toys, but he too enjoys tissue boxes, plastic lids, buttons, and big and small boxes. I have discovered the glue gun to be a wonderful tool to combine recyclable things to make dinosaurs, frogs, butterflies, caterpillars and more. My son gets to paint them and then play with them.
