Although babies enjoy playing with toys, there are also many objects they are naturally drawn to around the house. Below are some simple household items as toys for babies!
When you see something that you have never seen before, something that looks interesting and beautiful or weird and unusual or totally cool, what’s the first thing you want to do?
I know what I want to do.
I want to walk right up to it and take a good look at it, and then I wanna touch it 😂 I want to touch it and pick it up. Depending on what it is, maybe I even want to smell it or lick it hahaha
Humans are curious!
And babies are human.
They are eager, investigative little humans, looking for all the ways to get their hands on everything.
Everything is so new to them. They just want to touch the world with their fingers and toes and put everything straight into their mouth!
So the world made baby toys to distract them. There are thousands and thousands of toys made specifically for babies, and these toys can be a whole lot of fun for everyone.
And although baby toys can be helpful, a baby doesn’t need a baby toy. There are plenty of random objects around the house that excite them just as much as (or more than) an expensive baby play gym. More often than not, my baby prefers a household item over one of his toys, just like this baby in this video.
Baby toys can get pricey, so it is possible to be creative with what you have at home. And maybe it’s not a money issue, but more of needing fun toy options to give your baby that they don’t usually get to play with on a daily basis. Special non-toys saved for rainy days when they are bored of their actual toys.
Anything can become a toy for a baby, as long as you make it safe for your baby to interact with. This is a must!
I currently have a 10 month old boy. These are some items that he loves to play with that are found around the house.
This post is all about household items as toys for babies.
11 household items as toys for babies
1. plastic water bottle
Plastic water bottles have a fun crinkle sound to them that babies are drawn to. My little boy will play with an empty water bottle for quite some time. He also likes it when there are a few inches of water inside. That way, he can shake the water and watch it splash around, and listen to it as it makes a different sound than the empty water bottle.
2. hair brush
Whether it’s my hair brush, or his own, my baby really likes to chew on the bristles! He will sit on the bathroom floor as I get ready. As he watches me with his big eyes and slobbers all over my hair brush, I melt a little.
3. nasal aspirator
This fun and squishy item was a surprise, but also not a surprise due to the material and texture. Chewing on the rubber is enough to keep my baby occupied while I need to change his diaper. However, sometimes he would gag on it because he would accidentally shove it too far back into his throat. He has learned since then 🙂
4. mirrors
Babies love to look at themselves in the mirror! They become so entranced with this dark magic and can stare for hours. I love seeing the little handprint marks left on my mirrors.
5. things with wrappers
Just like the water bottle, anything with a wrapper maintains a babies attention because of the simple, yet addicting and oddly satisfying, sound it creates. There is something about a crinkle that keeps a kid coming back.
6. spatulas or cooking spoons
When you’re in the kitchen doing the dishes or cooking, you can include your little one by handing them a spatula or a big cooking spoon. I’ve given my baby wooden and plastic spoons and he has liked both of them. Spatulas are interesting for them, with a sort of slippery and seemingly oily surface. My baby goes to town on those!
7. plastic container and lids
I dont really know why these are a hit with my baby. I just know he likes to play with plastic tupperwares and their lids, sucking on them and sorta banging them around on the floor, dragging them this way and that way.
8. dog bowl
This is one I don’t allow him to indulge in, because I think it’s disgusting, but my boy loooooves the dog food and water bowls! I do my best to keep him away from them, but every so often he escapes my sights. I find him quickly because we live in a tiny condo AND I know exactly where he is going- straight to the doggie bowls!
I’ll admit though, that there have been times when he has snuck over there and played in the dogs water, spilling it everywhere 🤦♀️
It’s still really cute 😉
9. Toothbrush
Similar to the hair brush, it is fun for my baby to chew on the bristles of the toothbrush. He likes to use his teeth (the small 6 that he has in front), but he mostly gnaws at it in the back. Just, you know, massaging his gums with the brush-side.
(This makes me extra happy because I was a dental assistant for 8 years.)
10. Damp washcloth
A damp washcloth can be a fun change for a baby, with its soft texture and chilled sensation from the water. Especially as my baby hit 6 months and started to drink water, he would have fun sucking the water from the wet washcloth.
11. door stopper
I remember the day when my baby was crawling around and found the door stopper. He wouldn’t stop touching it with his little fingers, making the “fffllliiiiiiiinnnngggg” sound ring over and over again. For me, this was a favorite discovery of his that he made! It was so cute to watch!
See? You don’t need a bunch of baby toys to keep your little one occupied! They are happy with plenty of items that are found at home. Just be sure to monitor your baby as they use the household items as toys.
Let us know what household items YOUR baby loves, and how you make it different and/or safe for them! We need all the makeshift toys that we can get!
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