Growing up, my childhood home was always tidy because I didn’t have many toys. Instead of tripping over Lego blocks, I received just one gift a year, usually a simple action figure, nothing as fancy as a Gameboy. Playing Nintendo at a friend’s house was a special treat. Frugality is a part of who I am; even now, I still wear track pants and shirts with holes, ignoring the jokes from my tennis and softball friends as I outplay them. These memories of my upbringing help me appreciate what I have today.
Nowadays, many parents are looking for ways to save money, and I want to share some creative, budget-friendly toy ideas that my wife Sydney and I have come up with for kids who love to use their imagination.
Keeping kids entertained at home can be a challenge, especially when trying to avoid the cost and clutter of buying new toys frequently. My childhood was similar; we didn’t have much disposable income, and my parents worked long hours, so I had to find ways to entertain myself. I would make dollhouses out of old metal bookcases or sew doll clothes from fabric scraps. I even crafted my own board games from poster board and pieces of other games. These simple toys were incredibly fun, and there was something magical about creating something from nothing.
Teaching Frugality To Children
One of our biggest parental fears is not wanting our children to grow up without motivation. For example, our neighbor’s 31-year-old son still lives at home rent-free, splurging on sports cars and motorbikes instead of moving out. While we are financially stable and could afford to shower our kids with endless toys, we prefer to be thoughtful with our purchases. I particularly struggle with not buying too many educational toys and books.
I don’t want our children to grow accustomed to a constant influx of new toys. Instead, I want them to learn to be frugal and resourceful, to appreciate what they have. This is why when our son got into the educational show NumberBlocks on Netflix, we decided to create DIY toys of the characters, rather than splurging on expensive store-bought ones.
Frugal Toys Are A Lot of Fun
Since NumberBlocks toys are scarce and expensive online, we decided to make our own from paper, which is about as frugal as you can get. I printed and laminated images of the characters for durability. My husband Sam loved the idea and suggested we introduce them to our son one at a time to make each new toy feel special.
Our son was thrilled with his 2-D NumberBlock toys, eagerly asking for more after receiving the first. It confirmed that even simple homemade toys could bring immense joy to a child, and it was definitely more cost-effective than buying plush toys for $80 each!
Positives of Homemade Frugal Toys
Creating homemade toys has many benefits:
– They’re almost free.
– They encourage creativity and drawing skills.
– They allow for quality, screen-free playtime.
– They promote imaginative play and the joy of making something with your own hands.
– They help in developing a sense of accomplishment and patience.
Over time, we’ve built a large collection of these paper toys. If we had bought similar toys, it could have cost us between $500 to $4,000!
Downsides of Homemade Frugal Toys
However, there are some downsides:
– Paper toys can easily get lost or damaged, even when laminated.
– They don’t stand up on their own (we’re planning to make paper stands).
– Creating too many can lessen the appreciation for each individual toy.
Despite these issues, the process of making these toys is rewarding. It fosters a creative spirit and togetherness in our family, something that buying ready-made toys just can’t offer.
Other Fun Frugal Toy Ideas
If NumberBlocks aren’t a hit with your kids, consider using their favorite characters to make similar budget-friendly toys. Other ideas include:
– Building block towers from tissue boxes.
– Creating a pretend grocery store with clean, empty food containers.
– Designing a tic-tac-toe game using painted rocks and chopsticks.
Passing Down Frugality With Homemade Toys
We hope that making toys together will plant seeds of frugality and resourcefulness in our son. While we can’t predict the future, we already see the benefits of our approach, not just in savings but in his development and joy.
