Pasta posting and other random household games for kids

[Mumma301]

So I saw someone had cut some holes in a box and given their toddler some dried spiral pasta and thought bloody hell thats genius. Tried it out and sure enough kids loved it, gave them some coins and a money box...entertained for ages.

What else am I missing here? Can anyone share any other great games or activities for toddlers using random household objects? I spend a fortune on toys they tire of after a few minutes!

Pipe cleaners through colander holes.

Saucepan and wooden spoon drumkit (not for the faint hearted)!

Uncooked spaghetti stuck into play dough. Thread uncooked pasta tubes onto them without breaking.
Thread pasta tubes onto pipe cleaners to make beautiful necklaces and bangles. Colour in with felt tips.
Thread Cheerios onto pipe cleaners and put out for birds.
"Write" letters and draw pictures for their toys then post in a homemade letter box. One of the kids can then deliver them.
Sort pom-poms by colour into a fairy cake tin.
Homemade play dough is always a winner too.

I'm definitely going to try the pasta in a box with DS (17 months). But as an older child (up to about 8 ish) I used to love 'decorating' a jacket potato. I can't make it sound any less strange than it is, but my DM had a box of cake decorations, candles, but also feathers on sticks, 'Happy Birthday' type signs on sticks etc and I would stick them on a potato to my hearts content, crowned off by colouring it! I promise, I also had other thigns to do, more typical hobbies and friends!

Typo, apologies things

Clothes pegs to stick on the edge of boxes. Rattles made from bottles with lentils or rice.

Just remembered my Granny had a big box of buttons and ribbon. I loved counting and sorting them! She also kept left over pot noodle pots that we used to stack as building blocks

Same concept but plastic storage box, same pasta and some spoons/measuring cups/plastic bowl s. They scoop the pasta, move it from one bowl to another. If you want to go crazy bury some lego people or such in the pasta. This works with rice crispies too.

On hot days, freeze small plastic toys in bowls of water, give child a washing up bowl with bubbly water and place in garden. They can spend ages melting the ice and rescuing the toys.

A colander and pipe cleaners.

Playing cards and a slot cut into a pringles tube.

Lump of playdoh with spaghetti stuck in, thread cheerios onto it.

Have a look on Pinterest, there's tonnes of ideas there.

Loving these suggestions thank you 😊

Quick things I do for the kids- but some trays, put out playdoh and 3-4 things only- so cupcake case, a leftover candle from a birthday party, a whisk etc. Get them ‘baking’.
I was reading Tiger Who Came To Tea (again!) and then we had a playdoh tea party for the dolls.
Get a long roll of easel paper, lay it on the floor and give them crayons and paint etc.
Same with an Amazon box. Or painting an egg box. Or tape an egg box or boxes to the inside of a large cardboard box and get them to paint it.
Washing up games are always a hit.
Sorting out Pom poms in an egg box by colour (just use a marker to colour the base to indicate colours).

Potalbabu

That reminds me, baking trays and magnets is another good activity

Does anyone know where I can buy magnets from please? Looked at the Melissa and Doug animal ones but reviews aren’t great. Little one loves playing with the magnets on the fridge but I want some of his own.

You cant go wrong with basic letter and number magnets

www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Wooden-Alphabet-Magnets/dp/B001990BUU/ref=sr_1_4?s=gateway&keywords=Letter+magnets&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1558468848&sr=8-4

Dd is 5 now and past this.but we did a fun experiment recently, you crush breakfast cereal and put it in a ziplock freezer bag with water and seal it up. If you run a magnet over the outside of the bag you can collect all the iron from the cereal together.