Toys I made for the children that they still play with

I've blogged a lot in the past about the homemade toys that I've either made for the children or we've made together. Some of them, especially the bulky ones made from cardboard boxes, were definitely temporary additions to our home, but others have surprised me with their play value and durability, and many of them are still being played with today.

So I thought I'd share some of the favourite things that I've made for the children that they still pull out to play with!

Toy food has always been very popular in this house. They have a lovely wooden toy kitchen which is great, both for playing with and for storing all the bits and pieces. Mia is always pulling out the play food and setting up little picnics for her teddies, choosing unusual combinations of dishes to tempt them with. She also loves writing up menus so that we can choose something to order from her restaurant, and delivering it to us on a little pull along truck.

The salt dough and felt pizza is admittedly looking a little battered now, and looking at the picture below I can see that lots of the little pieces have gone missing, luckily they are easy to make, I need to sort out some replacements! The felt biscuits and cookies have held up really well, and I always request them when I'm offered a snack!

Another toy that has stood the test of time is the I Spy Jar. It sits on a bookshelf in Harry's room and I often see him shaking it about to find new items. Sometimes I spot things in there that I had forgotten putting in! It's a few years ago that I made it now and the rice has held up fine, it looks the same as it did the day I made it.

Our magnetic felt fishing game was a big hit when I first made it. Unfortunately the fishing rod is now long broken, but the little felt fish are still played with. The children love hiding them around the house for each other to find, and giving them as 'teddies' for their own teddies to play with.

My bean bag comet is also still going strong, it lives in the summer house with the garden toys and I often see it being chucked about. I should make a few more really, they were so easy to make!

You can see all the toys that I've made for and with the children here on my homemade toys page - have you made toys for your children? Which were the ones that have lasted the best?