They had More Fun with the Box

I could write you a list of all the best kid's toys for you to spend a small fortune on, but I'm going to be real with you instead.

On the level, if I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now I would not have bought a fraction of the kid's toys that I did.

The best kid's toys credentials:

1. Allow them to use their imagination and creativity. (Think brain development.)

2. Eco-friendly (read: won't end up in a landfill by next month.)

3. If it's not free, it must be durable and last through several kids as hand-me-downs.

4. Budget-friendly.

5. Enhance the development of large or fine motor skills.

Best Kid's Toys Ever:

1. The cardboard box.

The cardboard box will always reign supreme. This humble toy has been a restaurant, a rocket ship, a fort, a castle, and a race track.

Struggling to get your toddler to eat? Stick 'em in a cardboard box with their dins.

Here are some cool cardboard box projects that require minimal artistic skill, you can recruit the littles help (which makes them feel awesome), and they get added fun and a new toy on the free. It's all the win.

2. Tupperware.

Tupperware is especially awesome for kids five and under. You can count, stack, learn colors, fill and empty, open and close, and make music- all these things toddlers and small children absolutely adore. Plus, they get to feel grown up using grown-up things.

3. Bath Time.

Salty baby or toddler? Put 'em in water. Water calms the nervous system. You can use Tupperware in the tub to do all the fun stuff described in Point 2.

Bubbles and colorful water are also a big hit.

4. Playing Outside.

Big generalization: kids don't spend enough time outside anymore. I agree. I also do not think it is possible to spend too much time outdoors (unless of course, it's the kind of weather that could hurt you, cause that is a thing.)

Like submerging in water, going outside is another awesome reset for the nervous system and it works for big humans too... just like the water!

Outside offers endless opportunities to teach about mindfulness (a fancy way of saying: pay attention to what's happening around you and inside you), you can teach about colors, shapes, first words, counting (rocks, sticks, leaves, you name it!), you can do phys-ed and run, run, run, and oh so much more!

5. Learning a Musical Instrument.

The benefits of children learning to play music cannot be understated. Playing a musical instrument is the only thing that lights up all areas of the brain at once (if you're looking at a brain scan).

Music is an instant mood changer. Bad vibes in the house? Hit up the feel-good tunes. Our house loves a good kitchen dance party.

Listening to music and learning to play music reduces stress, aids in emotional management and regulation, helps in the recovery of many disorders, and improves memory retention.

Playing a musical instrument helps develop hand-eye coordination, brain growth, improved memory, math skills, better concentration, and improved teamwork, and it fosters a growth and goal-oriented mindset. (the studies)

6. Sports Equipment.

Like music, learning and playing sports (and moving the body in general) has an enormous host of benefits. I'm going to spare you the reading on this one because you know we could all benefit from more exercise.

7. Arts and Crafts Supplies.

Save the arts!

Yeah, there are a ton of good reasons why I homeschool. My kids having the freedom to explore who they are without political interference or public school budgeting concerns is pretty high on that list.

Art saves lives. Art has many of the same benefits as music. Art therapy exists for a reason. Here are the studies.

8. Tactile Learning Aides.

Particularly in the early years, learning is done through the five senses.

To an adult, a piece of paper is what we might write our grocery list on. Hand a toddler a piece of paper and they will crinkle and crunch, play hopscotch, the floor is lava, rip and tear, snip (with safety scissors) endlessly, scribble, color, practice writing, throw a ball, sort colors... You get the idea they will engage with all five of their senses and this piece of paper to explore every possible opportunity this sheet has to offer.

This is why learning aides and toys that engage with a little kid the way a little kid thinks is so important. Think sensory bins, indoor sandboxes, blocks, puzzles, playdough with alphabet cutouts, and alphabet and number stamps, the sky's the limit. The more you show how much you love helping your child learn, the more eager they'll be to do that learning,

9. Books and Library Adventures.

My kids adore library day and story time. I don't need to preach the benefits here, you know them.

Show your kids you love them and read to them, every single day.

I'm out. Go hug your babies.