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Parent Zone
May 2008
Unconventional Toys for Unconventional Kids
Does your child know the difference between a real cell phone and a toy phone? How about real dishes and play kitchen accessories? Of course children want to play with what they see their parents using, so it may not always be easy to distract interested children with toy versions of the things their parents use every day.
So what can you do to keep children away from your remote or glasses? It’s simple: give them real objects to “use” just like a big person would. Who says toys have to be bought at the toy store? Any old or unused item can become a toy as long as it is safe for a child. Take the batteries out of the old remote or let your children play with a deactivated cell phone so they can have fun playing with the things they see you use and touch on a regular basis.
Stocking a play kitchen can be as simple as furnishing plastic measuring cups and spoons, plastic cups and plates, and wooden or plastic utensils. Empty plastic containers and cereal or cracker boxes can provide limitless play for little ones. Large boxes set upside down can become a counter or stove for pretend play. Setting aside one cupboard or drawer for kid-safe items is also an easy way to occupy your child in your kitchen while you are preparing food.
Try offering the following items:
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rolled up socks and a laundry basket
- dried beans or pasta in a large bin
- a box of tissues
- a cardboard box
- a broom and dustpan
- homemade playdough
- paper and a glue stick
- a dry paintbrush for dusting
- a flannel board and flannel pieces
- a tray of ice cubes (in the bathtub or outside
Simply providing household items is enough to keep your child busy for longer than you’d ever expect. Big kids and little kids alike will find inventive, imaginative, and creative ways to play with the things that populate every adult’s world.
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