Ten Cheap Toys that Survive From Infancy to Toddlers
Part of finding cheap toys is finding toys which will last as long as possible. If a toy can be used until early childhood it's a cheap investment. If a toy can last even longer its a ridiculously cheap investment. Some toys will be shelved when your child reaches one, some toys will be sold, and some will be stored in secret hope chests awaiting your grandchildren, but there are some toys which can be useful for a longer period of time than you first thought.
Pacifiers – Children love pacifiers and use them until they are nearly three. As savings go, you can't go wrong with a pacifier. The problem comes when buying numerous pacifiers which seem to get lost. Some pacifiers have a place to attach ribbon or string. It's recommended to remove the string before giving to children unattended.
Lullaby music – Technically not a toy, but still a main part of every child's growth. A lullaby not only soothes the children, they soothe the parents as well.
Plastic teething rings – While it may be tempting to throw these away, they can be used for games and other activities. Show your kids some creative uses for their old teething rings. For instance, you could use them as pretend bracelets for dress up.
Baby clothes – Not a toy originally, but infant clothes can be used as toys for baby dolls and stuffed animals. A great way to involve your child in the creative dress up play and save money shopping for clothes for their dolls. Cheap toys sometimes means: recycled.
Plastic toys – Any plastic toy, can be used for bathtub fun play. Make bath time more fun by using left over baby toys as bath toys. You save money as well.
All books – Children love to read and listen to books. Every book I had as a child, I loved until I was much older. The great part about these books is that as children grow older, eventually they will begin reading the books alongside you or to you.
Stuffed animals – Not only do these fantastic toys survive infancy, they usually survive through childhood. As a matter of fact, when I was teaching I remember kids bringing in stuffed animals they'd had for 5 years, and most of my kids were 6 years old!
Mobiles – A fun an perfect cheap toy that is cheap and can be hung as decoration in any child's room. Musical mobiles are even better, as they can help sooth children at night.
Nightlight – Not technically a toy, but an investment worth making for a child's room. Usually with some superhero or princess light cover, this little light can be with your child for years to come.
Baby gyms – Think you have to sell or get rid of that baby gym because your child is too old? Think again. Children love to use real cheap baby toys on their baby dolls. While you may not find any use for those baby gyms, your child will find a hundred uses for it.
It's difficult to be extravagant when you're buying toys, but it's also hard to resist such cute toys that are available for your children. In order to retain some economic value, you can find uses for the investment you make for years to come. Buying cheap toys, doesn't always mean the price, sometimes it means the actual value the toy brings to your child. Other toys for toddlers can be found on my other posts.