Homemade Toys

I make lots of toys and games for and with my children. Making large toys from cardboard boxes is brilliant, because when you are done you can squash and recycle them. I also like making things that can be used, and I think it's really important to teach children that not everything needs to come from a shop, and you can also improvise with what you have around you.

 

Toys from cardboard boxes

Cardboard car wash
Postbox and letters
Cardboard box car house
Cardboard box bus
Campervan from a shoebox

Toys for babies

Sensory bottles

Play mats

Racing car play mat
Construction play mat
Car park play mat

Play food

Salt dough and felt pizza
Felt biscuits
Realistic play food
Felt sandwich
Cardboard biscuits

Role play toys

Pirate treasure chest and gold doubloons
Pirate map
Shepherd's costume

 

Sensory tubs

Fireworks sensory tub
Beach/underwater sensory tub
Dinosaur Island
Spring sensory tub
Easter sensory tub
Halloween sensory tub
Gardening sensory tub

Books, Stories and reading

Story sacks with Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Five little ducks finger puppets
Story telling bottle caps
Me on the Map book
Tactile alphabet cards

Busy bags

Monster busy bag
Pasta, pots and bottles
Threading
Christmas
After school busy boxes

Quiet toys

I Spy Jar
Jigsaw puzzles
Magnetic felt fishing game
Embroidered felt numbers

Toys that children can help to make

Pebble monsters
Minibeasts and bugs from rubbish
A simple helicopter game
Making flags
Toilet roll tube owls
Sock monster puppet
Toilet roll tube tractors

Other

Bean bag comet

A simple doll's dress