15 Household Items That Can Be Used as Toys

Ever watched your child ignore expensive toys to play with the cardboard box they came in? You’re not alone in this common parenting experience.

Children naturally gravitate toward simple, everyday objects that spark their imagination far more than manufactured toys.

Using household items as playthings offers incredible benefits – it’s budget-friendly, environmentally conscious, and encourages creative thinking.

This post will inspire you with safe, engaging DIY toy ideas using items already in your home, proving that the best toys are often hiding in plain sight around your house.

Why Use Household Items as Toys?

Converting everyday objects into playthings offers numerous advantages for both children and parents seeking creative, sustainable entertainment solutions.

• Cost-Effective: Transform common kitchen utensils, boxes, and containers into engaging toys without spending money on expensive commercial products.
• Encourages Creativity: Everyday objects stimulate imagination and problem-solving skills as children invent new uses for familiar household items creatively.
• Eco-Friendly: Reusing household items reduces waste, supports sustainability efforts, and teaches children valuable lessons about environmental responsibility and resourcefulness.
• Convenience: Quick entertainment solutions using items already available at home when commercial toys are broken, lost, or unavailable.

Educational and Developmental Benefits

Using household items as toys provides rich learning opportunities that support children’s cognitive, physical, and emotional development across multiple domains.

• Fine and Gross Motor Skills
• Imaginative Play
• Sensory Exploration
• Problem-Solving

Household Items That Can Be Used As Toys

These simple, everyday household items can be turned into fun and educational toys that keep children entertained while also helping them develop important skills!

1. Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard boxes are incredibly versatile for children’s play. They can easily be turned into playhouses, tunnels, or even race cars with a bit of creativity.

Decorating them can enhance the experience by allowing kids to color and cut them to their liking. These boxes encourage imaginative play and problem-solving as kids explore new ways to create and interact with them.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure that children only use non-toxic markers or paints when decorating.

• Supervise children when cutting to avoid sharp edges or accidental injury.

2. Plastic Bottles and Containers

Plastic bottles and containers can be repurposed into stacking toys, sorting bins, or even musical instruments like maracas.

They are lightweight and provide great opportunities for sensory play, like turning them into sensory bottles filled with rice, beads, or glitter. This kind of play enhances motor skills and cognitive development.

Safety Tips:

• Remove any bottle caps to prevent choking hazards.

• Make sure bottles and containers are thoroughly cleaned before use to avoid contamination.

3. Towels and Blankets

Towels and blankets are perfect for creating forts, tents, or hideaways, stimulating children’s imagination.

These soft materials also make for great obstacle courses or tug-of-war challenges, encouraging physical activity and coordination. Blankets can transform any space into a cozy play zone.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure blankets and towels don’t have any loose threads or items that could pose a strangulation risk.

• Always supervise play with blankets, especially when building forts or playing under them, to prevent accidental suffocation.

4. Wooden Spoons

Wooden spoons are great for musical activities like drumming, tapping rhythms, or even stirring in a pretend kitchen.

They can also be used in imaginative play for cooking and food-related role-playing games. These tools help with fine motor skills and rhythmic coordination.

Safety Tips:

• Check that the wooden spoons are smooth and free from splinters to prevent injury.

• Supervise children to ensure they don’t accidentally hit themselves or others with the spoons.

5. Cushions and Pillows

Cushions and pillows can be used to build forts, create soft play areas, or for balance games.

These soft materials encourage movement, such as jumping, stacking, or using them in physical play activities. They’re great for developing coordination and motor skills in a safe, padded environment.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure that the pillows and cushions are not too soft to the point of being unsteady when stacked.

• Avoid using pillows with buttons or zippers that could be a choking hazard if detached.

6. Old Socks

Old socks can be transformed into puppets, which are great for storytelling, role-playing, and developing social skills.

They can also be used in DIY ball pits when filled with soft materials or used in fun sensory games. Socks are versatile for encouraging creativity and imaginative play.

Safety Tips:

• Make sure socks are clean and free from any loose parts like buttons or beads that could be choking hazards.

• Ensure the socks are securely closed when making balls to prevent any materials from falling out.

7. Kitchen Bowls

Kitchen bowls are multi-purpose items that are ideal for stacking, sorting, and even using in musical play.

They can also be used in pretend play for cooking, serving, or setting up food-related games. Bowls help enhance hand-eye coordination and social play when incorporated into group activities.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure that bowls are made of non-breakable materials to avoid injuries from shards.

• Be mindful of sharp edges on plastic bowls that could cause cuts during play.

8. Plastic Cups

Plastic cups are perfect for stacking, sorting, and building towers. They are lightweight, making them ideal for toddlers who are developing fine motor skills.

These cups can also be used for games like cup races, enhancing coordination and problem-solving.

Safety Tips:

• Check that plastic cups are free from sharp edges or cracks that could cause cuts.

• Supervise children to prevent them from putting the cups in their mouths, as small pieces could be a choking hazard.

9. Paper Plates

Paper plates are excellent for creating crafts like masks or pretend play activities.

They’re also perfect for teaching shapes, sorting, and learning about colors. Paper plates encourage creativity through drawing, cutting, and gluing activities, making them a fun and educational tool.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure that glue or markers used on paper plates are non-toxic and safe for children.

• Supervise cutting to prevent accidents or injuries from scissors.

10. Clothespins

Clothespins can be used in many different games, such as pinning objects onto a line or for craft activities like making photo frames.

These simple tools also help children develop fine motor skills, as they practice pinching and releasing.

Safety Tips:

• Check that the clothespins don’t have any sharp metal ends that could hurt little fingers.

• Avoid small clothespins that could easily be swallowed by younger children.

11. Rubber Bands

Rubber bands can be used for stretching, crafting, or as musical instruments.

They can be wrapped around different objects to create makeshift string instruments or used for activities like color sorting. Rubber bands provide great opportunities for developing fine motor skills.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure rubber bands are not too tight when stretched to avoid snapping, which could cause eye injury.

• Always supervise children when using rubber bands to prevent them from being used inappropriately, such as being put in their mouth.

12. Plastic Bags

Plastic bags can be used to create sensory bags or even as parachutes for small toys.

When used safely, they provide tactile exploration and engage children’s sense of touch. Be cautious with the use of plastic bags to ensure they’re used in an appropriate manner.

Safety Tips:

• Never leave children unsupervised with plastic bags, as they pose a suffocation risk.

• Always use clear, non-toxic materials inside plastic bags if they are being used for sensory play.

13. Tissue Boxes

Tissue boxes are excellent for treasure hunts, sensory play, or sorting small objects.

They are also useful for developing problem-solving skills as children figure out how to open and close the box or fit objects inside.

Safety Tips:

• Check tissue boxes for any sharp edges or corners that could cause cuts.

• Ensure the items inside tissue boxes are large enough to prevent choking hazards.

14. Muffin Tins

Muffin tins are great for sorting objects like buttons or small toys.

They can also be used to develop early counting skills or for creating sensory games with small items like beans or rice. Muffin tins help enhance organizational skills and teach categorization.

Safety Tips:

• Ensure that muffin tins are not made from materials that could easily break or crack.

• Supervise younger children to prevent small items from being swallowed or becoming a choking hazard.

15. Magazines and Catalogs

Magazines and catalogs are fantastic for tearing, sorting, and making collages.

They help develop fine motor skills and are great for creative activities like storytelling or visual art. Cutting pictures out and creating new stories with them helps develop creativity and imagination.

Safety Tips:

• Make sure scissors are appropriate for the child’s age to avoid cutting accidents.

• Remove any small, detachable parts from magazines or catalogs that could pose a choking hazard.

Fun Play Ideas for Different Age Groups

Household items can be transformed into age-appropriate toys that match your child’s developmental stage and interests perfectly.

1. Infants (0-12 months)

Babies benefit from simple sensory experiences using safe household materials. Fabric swatches from old clothes provide varied textures for touch exploration.

• Empty plastic containers with secure lids create safe rattles when filled with rice or beans.
• Wooden spoons offer teething relief and cause-and-effect learning.
• Colorful dish towels become peek-a-boo games and visual stimulation tools. Metal measuring spoons create interesting sounds and reflective surfaces.

Always ensure items are large enough to prevent choking and thoroughly cleaned before use.

Toddlers (1-3 years)

Toddlers love learning and manipulating objects as they develop motor skills.

• Large cardboard boxes become cars, houses, or tunnels for imaginative play.
• Plastic measuring cups and containers are perfect for stacking, nesting, and water play activities.
• Kitchen utensils like spatulas and tongs help develop grip strength and coordination.
• Empty tissue boxes become shape sorters when you cut different sized holes.
• Pots and pans with wooden spoons create musical instruments.
• Paper towel tubes become tunnels for rolling balls or binoculars for exploration games.

Preschoolers (3-5 years)

Preschoolers can handle more complex play scenarios and construction activities.

• Large appliance boxes become elaborate forts, castles, or playhouses with added creativity.
• Plastic bottles and containers become sorting games using buttons, pasta, or small toys.
• Empty cereal boxes transform into building blocks for towers and structures.
• Kitchen items become restaurant props for role-playing scenarios.
• Bubble wrap provides sensory stepping stones and popping activities.
• Newspaper becomes art supplies for painting, collages, or paper airplane construction projects.

Conclusion

Using household items as toys offers incredible benefits including cost savings, environmental responsibility, and enhanced creativity development.

These everyday objects provide rich learning opportunities while encouraging imagination and problem-solving skills in children of all ages.

The convenience and accessibility of household materials make playtime possible anytime, anywhere.

What household items have become favorite toys in your home? Share your creative discoveries and inspire other parents with your innovative play ideas in the comments below!