Small, inexpensive toys for toddler?

[Kismett]

My brother, SIL, and niece will be visiting us for a week and I'd like to have a few toys or activities here for my niece. She will be about 19 months but I don't have any children so am not sure what would be appropriate. Would prefer not to spend more than £30 total.

I saw an Aquadoodle mat at Argos, would something like that work?

I don't mind buying a few things if they are small, as we are expecting our first child and could save a few toys for later if needed. We don't have loads of space to spare though! I've also seen lots of ideas for activities on Pinterest but not sure which actually work in reality.

Oh I liked those eggs that a few people have mentioned. Never heard of them before! And what’s brio @Corneliusmurphy?

Brio are expensive trains
Honestly don't go too mad, especially if they are well off because they'll have loads at home
Second hand books would be fine or you could even borrow some from the library

"Right now I’m thinking things like stacking cups/blocks, chunky crayons and paper, balloons, a soft ball, these all sound very easy."

This sounds plenty, I don't think you need anything else - apart from bubbles! Don't forget the bubbles!

Not play doh though, it's a faff. DS got some for Christmas, he is 22 months old and likes it but is still a bit young to play with it "properly". He prefers crayons.

PS stacking cups take up less space than blocks, easier to store

Pots pans spoons make salt doh - hours of fun
Save bottle tops cardboard lids tin foil - but some white glue
Tub with water in it - find things that float and pour - a few jugs ladle etc
Bottle of bubbles
Large cardboard box to make into a den
Sheet for a den over the table

You don’t need to spend anything

DO NOT GET PLAYDOUGH unless you like it EVERYWHERE.

If you have an Ikea nearby they have a brilliant kids section, most of the things listed here, all good prices, and pretty good quality.

You don't need much though, they're pretty happy with Tupperware / spoons / cardboard boxes / blankets at this age.

This stuff, the supermarket and IKEA sets are a fraction of the price and even now my kids would sit with it for ages.
Can’t believe I forgot bubbles as well! Oh and wooden puzzles but yeah I wouldn’t get all of it!

At that age my children loved playing with handbags. Get an old bag and put in random bits you don't mind them playing with and are child friendly - hairbrush, pack of tissues, old keys, empty coin purse etc. Leave it lying around and I guarantee she'll be over in a shot. My friends who are childminders do the same thing.

A cardboard box full of interesting things: plastic bangle, squeaky toy, Schlech animal, bit of ribbon - google 'busy bags' that are any old bag/box full of random things you already own to entertain small ones. We had one that we'd mix up when we went to restaurants etc.

To be honest, when we visited friends ds would play happily with their tupperware (or any plastic ice cream boxes etc), wooden spoon, coasters, microfibre cloth for "cleaning" the tupper, plastic picnic stuff. The fraction he was in a different house was interesting enough.

I wouldn't worry about their attitude to second hand stuff, charity shop toys are usually in good condition and you can't tell it's preloved.

Now, to toddler-proof your house...

Congratulations OP

Brio is a (expensive) brand of wooden trains.

My toddler loves playing with our wooden train set, but I’d get a cheaper brand than Brio (you can get similar cheaper train sets from ikea, Tesco, ELC, Bigjigs and probably other places) if it’s intended for a child visiting infrequently.

Stacking cups, crayons and duplo are also favourites with my toddler.

At that age my kids loved playing with boxes like this £11.

ewtshop® Gift Boxes Sturdy Material with Fine Kraft Paper Covered Boxes, Suitable for Scrapbooking, Set of 12 https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H8K9QBV/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_bCirCbWDTSG3M

We put stickers on the lids and box.

They spent hours making towers, taking the boxes out and matching the box/lid by the stickers, then putting them back together in order.

Also games like hiding one box inside another a guessing where it was or hiding a toy in one box and taking turns to find it.

I know it sounds really simple but that's the sort of thing kids that age like.

No fuss, can be recycled and lots of options for creative play.

Wooden blocks, a couple of cars and some plastic animals, a pad of paper and some chunky crayons.

I find Asda toys such good value for money.
direct.asda.com/george/sale-offers/baby-toddler-event/play/D55M7G1C19S4,default,sc.html?cmpid=ppc--ad------asda%20toddler%20toys-_-dskwid-s43700018003232777_dm&ds_rl%5B0%5D=1238816&ds_rl%5B1%5D=1254577&gclid=CjwKCAiA1ZDiBRAXEiwAIWyNC-oKuplW5DMX-bKdRl04cQB-GXTVnsrtfdKZAEXQ9B98d5_lNs4uaxoCnrUQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&srule=g_price_asc

Bath toy?

Meh, not that cheap.

These stacking cups are £2 (reduced from £3) and DS has played with them loads

www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/chad-valley-stacking-cups-133646884-p

Oh and how could I forget bubbles!

At that age my dd absolutely loved playing with Pom poms (the craft ones from wilko for £1). She’d fill cups with them and we stuck a cardboard tube to the door so she could push them through it into a bowl on the floor! Stacking cups are great, so is water play, get an old shower curtain on the kitchen floor and fill a big tub with water so she can play with the stacking cups in that too. The tomy eggs are a firm favourite here as well. You can’t go wrong with cheap balls and toy cars either. I’d say she may be a bit young for play doh and it’s very messy! You definitely don’t need to spend a lot of money.

DO NOT GET PLAYDOUGH unless you like it EVERYWHERE.

Which is why so many kids have fine motor skill problems

As people have said wooden blocks or megablox as can always be reused.
Do you have any soft toys?
Peg puzzles
Hard backbooks
A buggy
Soft ball
You could have a look at fb selling sites or buy new or charity shops.
Old mobile phones. Old handbags.

GreenTulips you give visiting toddlers playdough? Good for you! We'll be round tomorrow, looking forward to it!

Play doh is hardly the only activity that develops fine motor skills, I wouldn't say it's particularly good for that anyway, not for a 19mo.

Stack a cups are great, in Sainsbury's they are about £2 I think - fun to build and knock over towers and double up as bath toys too! They stack inside each other do hardly take up any room. Tomy Hide & Squeak eggs are also a big favourite in this house!

Play Doh cleans up really easily. My just turned two year old has it out all the time and has done for months. She plays with it every day, for ages!

Now super sand, that we keep in a high up cupboard and have out once a week... Kids (and adults) do love it though. We do get it out for visiting toddlers and it wouldn’t occur to hide the play doh from them!

You can make the sand with flour and baby oil
Smells lovely

Try charity shops, discount stores and supermarkets. Get some basic craft supplies eg crayons, waste paper from work etc and download how to make play dough as making it is an activity as is baking.