You can be frugal and still keep children entertained
Children get bored fast. They can also spend days begging for a special
toy, only to discard it a few hours after they get it – and more often
than not go and play with the box instead.
With the long summer holiday just around the corner, I’ve been taking a look at cheap and free toys and games that could keep them happy and save you a fortune.
Home-made Play-Doh
OK, so the large lump of greenish clay in the picture may not look particularly beautiful, but it was made by a two-year-old.
We’ve wasted plenty of money on shop-bought clay. A four pack of Play-Doh tubs cost £3.99, and it doesn’t last long. Every time my toddler plays with it we pay a sort of Play-Doh tax as bits fall off, gather crumbs and dog hair, and get trodden on.
But we made our own by mixing from flour, oil and food colouring (there’s a good recipe here). It was safe to use, incredibly cheap and my toddler helped make it, which was as entertaining for him as playing with it. It also helped him learn to follow instructions.
We had all the ingredients in our cupboard already, but I’d estimate this cost us under 20p.
Home-made finger paints
Once you’ve cracked making your own Play-Doh, you can make paint with the contents of your cupboard too. I found this recipe for home-made paints.
Because they’re made from stuff in your kitchen – sugar, salt, corn starch and food dye – they are safe for even small babies to play with as it won’t hurt them if they put their fingers in their mouths (obviously they shouldn’t be actually eating it).
One heads-up – I found this stained my son’s hands for a couple of days, although I may have used too much food dye in an attempt to get a richer colour.
Frugal fashion design
If your children love playing dress-up or designing clothes, you can buy expensive costumes and fashion games. There’s a ‘fashion pack’ of stickers, feathers and ready cut-out hearts priced at £19.99 from one leading toy shop.
But a little more planning and you can let your kids stage a fashion show for a fraction of the cost. Collect up any old unwanted clothing in the house, or pop down to your nearest charity shop and let them choose a t-shirt. Then come home and let them decorate it as they want; by cutting holes, using felt-tips, gluing cut-out shapes.
I’ve done this with my nieces and it’s a big hit. It’s more fun, more creative and far, far more affordable.
Build a den instead of buying a playhouse
You can buy pre-fabricated dens and playhouses for hundreds of pounds, but I think this misses the point. Kids don’t actually want to spend their playtime in a plastic house, even if it is waterproof and has windows that really open.
Half the fun of a den is building it, and they only need some old blankets or tarpaulin, a few sticks and some string. The Eden Project has a good guide to den building including rules for keeping safe.
If you don’t have a garden, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust have guides on making your own in one of their parks. Free, fun and in the fresh air.
Create ‘stained glass’ windows
If you have crafty kids, you know that supplies like crepe paper can cost a fortune. At Tesco, for example, one roll of crepe paper costs £1.30 and you’d probably need more than one colour.
But if your kids want to create ‘stained glass’ colourful covers for their windows, you don’t need pricey craft supplies. Most of us have a cupboard or drawer stuffed with colourful plastic bags that can be chopped up instead – obviously with adult supervision for younger children.
Sweet wrappers are also good for this, especially if you’ve had a tin of Roses or Quality Street at Christmas. Get people to put their empty wrappers back in the tin and keep them for a rainy day when you need a craft project.
Are you a parent or grandparent? Share your tips for free or frugal fun using the comments below
With the long summer holiday just around the corner, I’ve been taking a look at cheap and free toys and games that could keep them happy and save you a fortune.
Home-made Play-Doh
OK, so the large lump of greenish clay in the picture may not look particularly beautiful, but it was made by a two-year-old.
We’ve wasted plenty of money on shop-bought clay. A four pack of Play-Doh tubs cost £3.99, and it doesn’t last long. Every time my toddler plays with it we pay a sort of Play-Doh tax as bits fall off, gather crumbs and dog hair, and get trodden on.
But we made our own by mixing from flour, oil and food colouring (there’s a good recipe here). It was safe to use, incredibly cheap and my toddler helped make it, which was as entertaining for him as playing with it. It also helped him learn to follow instructions.
We had all the ingredients in our cupboard already, but I’d estimate this cost us under 20p.
Home-made finger paints
Once you’ve cracked making your own Play-Doh, you can make paint with the contents of your cupboard too. I found this recipe for home-made paints.
Because they’re made from stuff in your kitchen – sugar, salt, corn starch and food dye – they are safe for even small babies to play with as it won’t hurt them if they put their fingers in their mouths (obviously they shouldn’t be actually eating it).
One heads-up – I found this stained my son’s hands for a couple of days, although I may have used too much food dye in an attempt to get a richer colour.
Frugal fashion design
If your children love playing dress-up or designing clothes, you can buy expensive costumes and fashion games. There’s a ‘fashion pack’ of stickers, feathers and ready cut-out hearts priced at £19.99 from one leading toy shop.
But a little more planning and you can let your kids stage a fashion show for a fraction of the cost. Collect up any old unwanted clothing in the house, or pop down to your nearest charity shop and let them choose a t-shirt. Then come home and let them decorate it as they want; by cutting holes, using felt-tips, gluing cut-out shapes.
I’ve done this with my nieces and it’s a big hit. It’s more fun, more creative and far, far more affordable.
Build a den instead of buying a playhouse
You can buy pre-fabricated dens and playhouses for hundreds of pounds, but I think this misses the point. Kids don’t actually want to spend their playtime in a plastic house, even if it is waterproof and has windows that really open.
Half the fun of a den is building it, and they only need some old blankets or tarpaulin, a few sticks and some string. The Eden Project has a good guide to den building including rules for keeping safe.
If you don’t have a garden, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust have guides on making your own in one of their parks. Free, fun and in the fresh air.
Create ‘stained glass’ windows
If you have crafty kids, you know that supplies like crepe paper can cost a fortune. At Tesco, for example, one roll of crepe paper costs £1.30 and you’d probably need more than one colour.
But if your kids want to create ‘stained glass’ colourful covers for their windows, you don’t need pricey craft supplies. Most of us have a cupboard or drawer stuffed with colourful plastic bags that can be chopped up instead – obviously with adult supervision for younger children.
Sweet wrappers are also good for this, especially if you’ve had a tin of Roses or Quality Street at Christmas. Get people to put their empty wrappers back in the tin and keep them for a rainy day when you need a craft project.
Are you a parent or grandparent? Share your tips for free or frugal fun using the comments below
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