whats the the ultimate toy?

[Zerub]

We just had a parcel delivered - a large box full of small bathroom fittings and electrical bits - all packed in millions of little polystyrene "s"s. DD (17 months) is now swimming happily in the box (minus all the stuff we bought obviously!). I can't believe how much fun she is having! I think when she gets bored I'll have to put the box & polystyrene bits away on top of a wardrobe, and keep it for those grumpy late afternoons...

And its got me thinking - what else might I have around the house that she would enjoy more than some expensive ToysRUs creation?

my son, 2 and a bit, has great fun with the small hoover attachment. He uses it to pretend to hoover the carpet, clean the TV, as a microphone, as an aeroplane, and lots of other things that of course I now cant remember!

If I hoover or mow the lawn anywhere near DD is as though she were suddenly transported to disneyland!

Also those bits of cardboard you get over hangers when you get your dry cleaning back - OMG - the sheer joy of it!!!!!!!!!

DD's favourite toy is an old chain belt of mine which she pours into a hot chocolate tub!

ds1 2 and a half is currently mesmorised with the zip on his coat and is pulling it up and down over and over again - hours of fun!

dd (2) will spend ages putting pennies in her piggybank and shaking them out again and putting them in again........
Also loves those styrofoam s beady things too. Now where did I put them?????

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Electrical sockets! Doesn't sound very safe, I know, but I have given ds some plugs and sockets who are disconnected and not dangerous. He loves it

When children are a bit older, a cheap packet of sticking plasters keeps them happy for ages.

books!

Anything in small cardboard boxes - a box of tampons keeps my one year old happy for hours.

Books. An old radio for 'pressing the buttons' and a copy of Sainsbury's mag with Nigella on the cover and a whole page of fairycakes inside. 'Rabbit, would oo like a cake? Would oo like one with icing on it? Would oo like a green one?" ad infinitum. Spent two hours yesterday feeding imaginary cakes to me and all the toys Thanks Nigella!

Nothing to do with the ultimate toy, but aloha, your post reminded my of one of my children's favourite magic tricks. They show me the front cover of the domestic goddess book, tell me to shut my eyes while they make munching sounds and then when I open my eyes they've turned the book over to display the empty cake case

Do you know Monica Ali BTW? I saw you mention her on another thread.

Dd loves old magazines and newspapers. Sometimes she "reads" them (she looks at the pictures and goes "aaaah" ), sometimes she rips them to bits. Either way she has a whale of a time.

She also has an ice-cream tub full of old jar lids, and a big tin full of plastic crap that comes free with cereals (the baby friendly ones obviously). Will spend hours arranging them and re-arranging them.

No tamum, not that well connected sadly! I just live in the same neck of the woods and know about her school thing from another mum who is delighted that her child is going to that particular school. Do know some novelists though, but no serious ones, which probably says more about me....

oh and Tamum Lol! I think that may well be to come unless his cake obsession abates.

Aloha, I just wondered because although I don't know her either, her brother is a good friend of mine. He rang me and told me not to buy Brick Lane on any account because he'd got a signed copy for me, but he hasn't ever got round to sending it and I'm champing at the bit! Luckily we're doing a viva together soon, so I'm hoping he'll bring it along

The school is Goodrich BTW in E Dulwich. I think the story is true!

An electric toothbrush. The sluglet is obsessed with it. All the teddies have clean teeth, and conkers she's collected, as well as nooks and crannies of the house. When she's having a tantrum we tickle her feet with it. Now all I need is one that buzzes silently!

I have a set (collected myself) of cardboard boxes from teeny to big enough to sit in which I bring out on very bad days. Also a bag of those styrofoam thingies which ds (20 months) will put in and out of boxes for hours. And a box of straws which cost £1 in IKEA. He loves them.

Hand whisk. Not a balloon whisk, the ones with a handle to turn. It is the motor to all sorts of imaginary appliances, motorbike, lawnmower, 'pink milk maker', helicopter, with associated dramas.

having 2 children on the autistic spectrum means they love things that spin...I gave them a bunch of sycamore seeds which are all over the place now- they are fascinated by the way these seeds spin when they throw them in the air! Good old mother nature!!!

Ds plays with his own shoelaces and socks, buttons on daddy's pyjamas (when on daddy of course)bits of fluff on the carpet, empty 1kg yogurt pots, but his absolute favourite is being allowed to open grandad's junk mail or "read" his travel brochures. All totally free!

Ds2 loves potatoes.

Lou33 - YES! I have a cloth drawstring bag that the potatoes live in - on the floor, where DD can get at them easily. Good for sorting, putting in, taking out, rolling, stacking (unsuccessfully of course), hiding randomly around the house...

Random hiding around the house = ds2! He gets really upset if he isn't allowed a couple of potatoes when I am peeling them. Just wanders around with them in his hand, lol.

Any plastic container (drink bottle etc.) when used up gets filled with rice or lentils or dried peas. Had 6 babies round last week. Three sat & rattled these containers, while the other three tried to nick them. All around them were expensive shop bought toys ...