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Keeping Little Ones Busy
1. Â Lauri Shape and Color Sorter
2. Â Wooden Block Cart
(Ours has been well-loved!)
3. Â Colored toothpicks in a cheese shaker
4. Â I Spy Bottle
5. Â Wooden String- a -Farm
(This has also been a favorite for years.)
6. Â Primary Lacing Beads
7. Â Playdough and Playdough Toys
8. Â Nuts and Bolts
9. Â Wooden Stencils
10. Â Straws to String
11. Â Pattern Matching With Pony Beads
12. Â Pony Beads and Pipe Cleaners
13. Â Large Buttons and an Ice Cube Tray
14. Â A Basket of Really Large Buttons
15. Â Stacking Cups
16. Â Pom Poms, Tongs, and Tea Light Holders
17. Â Beads, Tongs, and Tea Light Holders
18. Â Pom Poms, Ice Cube Tray, Plastic Tongs
19. Â Lacing Cards: Â Farm Animals Lacing Cards
These are so cute but they’re apparently no longer available. These farm lacing cards are a little more cartoonish.
Marla says
I love all your ideas on how to get little ones busy and happy. Kids don’t need expensive toys to be happy. I don’t have any little ones at my house but do have some visitors with little ones and they get so much fun out of all my kitchen refrigerator magnets and play with them for a long time. Congratulations on being featured on Homestead blog hop. Have a healthy, happy & blessed Easter.
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you, Marla! I hope you have a lovely Easter also!
Sherry says
These are great. Thanks for sharing.
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you, Sherry!
Meagan says
So many great ideas!! I love the wooden toys and all of the recycled ideas. I have a 14 month old and I’m constantly looking for new things to keep him busy…I’m going to start my collection now and use some of your ideas. Thanks!
Joy Kincaid says
So glad it was helpful, Meagan!
mommythezookeeper says
Thank you! I love all your creative ideas.
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you!
His Grace Abounds says
Joy,
Thank you for sharing your passion of homeschooling on your blog. Your blog will be so encouraging to me as I begin homeschooling in the next year.
I was wondering, what size trays did you order (the colored plastic ones). When I connected to the link, there was 5 larger ones or what looked like 5 "smaller" ones. Wondering what you've found useful?
Thanks!
Joy Kincaid says
Thanks for your kind comment! I got the smaller trays. I was tempted to get the larger ones, but I wanted to use them on a bookshelf to hold activities, and they didn't fit on my shelves. The smaller ones have worked well for us, and they've been just right for little hands.
Sandra says
I love all this ideas!! Thankyou for sharing them with the clueless moms like me!!
motheringwithgrace.com says
Wow! what a great list! I'm going to be saving it on my pinterest page for future reference. You are so creative!
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you! I hope it's helpful!
Amanda says
Great list. Thanks for linking up to Raising Homemakers
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you, Amanda!
Sarah says
I love these ideas, Joy! This is one post that I will definitely be saving not only for future reference, but to use with the little children I know now. Many of the ideas are so simple, but so good! Thank you for sharing!!
Joy Kincaid says
Thanks, Sarah! I'm glad it will be useful to you! 🙂
lamponastand.com says
This is the perfect resource for a "starter mom" like myself. I love your style and creativity. Glad to have landed here today! Thanks!
Joy Kincaid says
Welcome! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave an encouraging comment, and I hope to "see" you again here!
Mrs.Rabe says
Such great ideas!
Deanna
Joy Kincaid says
Thanks, Deanna!
Lily says
This has made me feel so nostalgic for pre-school days. How about sponges cut into shapes and used to print with poster paints. Little Son used to love doing that. We used to keep old magazines and store catalogues for him to cut up and stick onto paper as well. xxx
Joy Kincaid says
This age is one of my favorites! Thank you so much for sharing the ideas of painting with sponges and magazines. We love those activities also…but I'd forgotten about the sponge painting! My mother-in-law has a friend who is a teacher (at a school), and she gave me some sponges shaped like hearts, stars, circles, and squares. I don't think my current little guy has had the fun of using them yet. Thanks for the ideas, Lily!
Lisa says
Great ideas, Joy! It's been a few years since I've had a toddler in the house, so this list was a great reminder for me. Loved looking at all the bright colorful pictures too! Thanks for taking the time to share. Some of these I have and some new ideas I've gleaned for my just turned two year old. I'm going to link your blog to my church's homeschool group.
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you, Lisa! After I posted this I was worried that it might be just a few too many pictures! 🙂 Thanks for linking to me!
Rachel @ The Philosophers Wife says
Oh my goodness, this is a fantastic post! My little one just turned two and I sometimes feel like I can't think up things for her to do fast enough!
I have a Toddler linky on my blog, I'd LOVE if you'd share this post there!
http://philwife.blogspot.com/2012/07/teaching-time-for-toddlers-magnets.html
Joy Kincaid says
Thanks for inviting me to link up, Rachel! I'll try to do that soon. 🙂
Nabila Grace says
Thanks for this post! I have a very busy just turned 3 yr old and expecting again. I have a few of the things that you posted and she loves them. This gives me some more ideas as to what more I can get together for her to play with. :o)
Joy Kincaid says
Congratulations on expecting again, Nabila Grace! That's a busy time, when you have little ones and are expecting another one. Blessings to you! ♥
Anna says
Wow! What an awesome list of ideas!! Thank you so much for the time you spent putting this list together to share with others. I will definitely refer back to it.
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you, Anna! Hope it's helpful.
Heather says
I do a really great job at organizing everything, but then my kids want to use the geometry shapes for furniture with their legos and like to make soup with their blocks. I can't seem to keep the activities separate 🙂
Joy Kincaid says
Yes, that happens here, too! I do keep most of these things put away just for school time (except for things like blocks, which they get out regularly, and they like to combine those with cars or dollhouse items), and that tends to keep them more separate. If we just get them out at school time and then put them away after we're done with them, then they seem more special and interesting. Remembering to make sure everything gets put away nicely is what's hard for me! 🙂
Holly says
So many great ideas! I'm starting a notebook so I can remember some of these. You just showed that it doesn't have to be expensive, it just takes some creativity sometimes. Thank you for sharing with us! Have a great day!
Joy Kincaid says
Thank you, Holly! I'm so glad if something here was useful to you!
M. says
It all looks wonderful Joy. My boys when they were little only wanted one toy… Lego!
Joy Kincaid says
Legos are a favorite here, too! They're timeless.