Crayons, play doh, bubble mix, baby wipes … if you feel like you’re constantly refilling your toddler consumables, why not save yourself a trip to the shops and make your own?
Here are 15 ideas for cheap and cheerful everyday essentials. (Above: recycle old crayons into fun shapes.)
Bath paint
Easy peasy bath paints: combine shaving foam with food dyes. Add paintbrushes (or little fingers) and you can watch them get clean, then colourful, then clean again! (via Kids Activities Blog)
Play doh
Play doh is a kiddie winner every time, so why not whip up this homemade recipe on a rainy day. Ten minutes of preparation and suddenly you’ve got hours of creative play ahead. (via Rust & Sunshine)
Baby wipes
If there’s one item that gets a daily workout more than any other, it’s the humble baby wipe. They make a pretty hefty dent in your supermarket bill too, so try making your own and watch the savings mount up. Cha-ching! (via Wanting What You Have)
Rainbow pasta
Fun for craft, and yummy for eating! Here’s how to dye your own pasta for rainbow culinary adventures. (via Instructables)
Fruit roll-ups
These DIY fruit roll-ups put supermarket snacks to shame! They look delicious and the fruit combinations are endless. Sprinkle with coconut for extra yummies. (via Green Kitchen Stories)
Bubble mixure
This simple bubble mix recipe makes the ambitious claim of creating the BEST BUBBLES EVER! Give it a road test and see if they’re right. (via Smashed Peas and Carrots)
Giant Chalk
Make your own giant chalk using plaster of paris and and toilet paper rolls as moulds. (via Oh My Handmade Goodness)
Finger paint
Messy, messy fun. Home made finger paint – need we say more! (via The Berry)
Homemade glue
Make your own glue. It might not save you a fortune, but when you find your little one licking their collage at least you know what’s in it! (via I Can Teach My Child)
Coloured rice
Follow this tutorial for homemade coloured rice and then get crafting: Fill up empty water bottles and seal tight to make colourful shakers, or sprinkle on sticky paper to create mosaic-style artworks. Find the instructions via The Baker Bee.
Yoghurt
We go through bucketloads of yoghurt in our household every week. Turns out it’s fairly simple to make at home – it just requires a little monitoring and some tricky wizardry with temperatures. Try this delicious recipe from Steel Pony
Spray paint
Jackson Pollock, eat your heart out! Create splattery masterpieces with these DIY spray paints for kids. Just add diluted paint to empty spray bottles. (via Sun Hats and Wellie Boots)
Natural dyes
Good enough to eat! Here’s how to create homemade natural dyes for your homemade play doh! (via Minieco)
Pavement paint
A great activity for a sunny day. Create DIY pavement paint for temporary fun that will wash away in summer showers. (via The Idea Room)
