Be THAT Playful Parent

By Marianne M. Szymanski, founder and president of Toy Tips, publisher of Toy Tips and Parenting Hints
Magazine and co-author of Toy Tips: A Parent's Essential Guide to Smart Toy Choices (Wiley/Jossey Bass).

Balance the toybox with some time with your kids and make your own playthings at the kitchen table. Whether it is a rainy day, birthday party, babysitter night, after school activity or family get-together, finding the time to play is usually not a problem.
These ideas are simple, inexpensive to make and you can use your own ingredients. The recipes came to us from teachers, parents, grandparents and of course, Toy Tips tested them with kids to make sure they are fun!

Zip Loc Bag Books

Staple together 5-7 Zip Loc Bags on the closed seam. Cover staples with electrical tape to avoid sharp points. Then pages can be filled with family photos, pictures cut from magazines, small items collected. Books can be changed and can be graded for any aged child-adding words, sentences, etc. Can have themes, the ABC's, the family trip, Holidays, favorite foods, etc.

Homemade Musical Instruments

Glue and staple together Chinet (or other heavy paper plate) filled with dried peas or beans. Decorate outside of plates any way you want.
Take 20 Oz soda bottles, fill with beans, pasta, rice etc. Attach dowel handle to soda cap either by screwing it on or hot glue, makes a great maraca.
You can make drums from oatmeal or other round cereal containers. Cover outsides with paper, and decorate. You can use large spoon to beat drums, or hands work fine too.

Spongy Soft Balls:
Cut one colored big sponge, in strips (do not cut through), leave the middle uncut. Tie the center with a strong rubber band and toss in the air or in the water.

Sidewalk Paint:

You'll need 1 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1 1/4 cup water, and 10 drops of food color. Mix ingredients together and place paint in a spray bottle
Sidewalk Chalk

Take 2/3 cup plaster-of-paris, 2 tbs powdered tempura paint, and 6 tbs of water. Mix together and form into balls or into shapes with molds or plastic cookie cutters. (must work quickly)

Yukky Mukky Gukky

Mixture #1: 2 cups Elmer glue 2 cups of h20 21 drops of Food coloring Mix in bowl #1.

Mixture #2: 8 tsp. Laundry detergent (powder) 2 2/3 cups water Mix in bowl #2

Slowly pour mixture in bowl #1 into mixture of bowl #2 (DO not mix or stir) Lift solution 1 out of Watch solid turn to liquid and liquid turn to solid right in your hands.. Offers sensory and tactile development and texture identification. Store in a zip loc bag or tupperware .

Putty:

You'll need 4 tbs. Elmer's glue 5 drops of food color. Slowly... add 2 tbs. of liquid starch. Let stand and mix in hands. Store in a zip loc bag.

Lip Gloss

Take 4 tbsp. shortening and 2 tbs. dry kool aid mix. Mix together and decorate in small containers (Danimals yogurt containers work great)

Fossils

You'll need 1 cup flour, 1 cup used coffee grounds, 1/2 cup salt, 1/4 cup sand, and 3/4 cup water. Mix and slowly add water. Knead until it has the consistency of bread dough. Break off a piece and roll into the size of a baseball. Make a hole and hide wrapped candy. Seal with extra dough. Let air dry for 3 days or until hard. You can also bake in an oven for 20 minutes to dry. Break open when fully dry.

Smelly Modeling Dough

Gather 1cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, 1 pkg unsweetened Koolaid, 3 Tbl. vegetable oil, and 1/2 cup hot water. Combine dry ingredients. Add oil and hot water. Mix with hands. Add extra flour or water to reach consistency of bread dough. Have fun and enjoy the smell! Dough is non toxic, but very salty if eaten. Will keep in plastic bag for several weeks.

Melted Crayons

Recycle old crayons. Peel off the paper and have children mix colors in an non-stick muffin pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 4-5 minutes until melted. Let fully cool before using.