4 Great Children’s Toys You Can Make Rather Than Buy
Jan 21, 2010 Budget Environmentalism, Green Parenting
Children’s toys can get really expensive fast. That’s one thing parents learn pretty quickly. There are some great toys out there, but the expense can be hard to deal with.
Add in that many are plastic and really not so environmentally friendly, and it can be a bit of a problem.
But some toys you can make rather than buy, saving money and even reusing things that might otherwise have been recycled or even thrown out. Here are some ideas to get you started that don’t require a ton of sewing or construction skills.
Playhouse
What child doesn’t love a good playhouse? The popular ones are plastic and can be left outdoors in all weather or kept indoors. And they’re pricey, ranging from about $30 for a cardboard one they can color on, to a few hundred dollars for the fancier ones.
Even that $30 for a cardboard one is expensive when you realize you can get the cardboard pretty easily for free.
My children for a couple of years had a cardboard playhouse that was made from a double thickness box my husband got from the blinds department at Home Depot. He worked there at the time, and just had the night crew save him one. Not a hard thing to ask for, as they’re going to dispose of it anyhow.
That house was strong enough that the kids climbed on its roof regularly as they played. No problem. It tolerated pretty much everything they could throw at it, sometimes literally.
It took some time with a utility knife to cut the doors and windows, but it worked out really well. And being free was a great bonus.
When the box finally broke down enough it went into the recycle bin. We’ll be doing the same soon with a washer or dryer box we happen to have handy.
Play Kitchen
Play kitchens are also very popular with children, and once again can be rather pricey. You can make one on your own fairly easy, however.
My sister made one from a short dresser she bought at a garage sale or some such for her daughters. All she had to do was paint the burners on there and the kids were happy. That’s just enough for imagination.
You could also make one from a cardboard box, obviously a smaller one than you’d use for a playhouse. Draw on what they need, maybe cut in an oven door and there’s a play kitchen.
Bowling Set
You’ve probably seen the plastic bowling sets at the store. While they’re not all that pricey, relatively speaking, you can make your own.
All it takes is soda or water bottles (20 ounce or 2 liter size, your preference) and a ball. If you don’t drink much soda in your family and don’t buy bottled water (yay!), you can always talk to friends about giving some to you. You probably know someone who would have bottles available.
Stilts
Kids love to be just a little bit taller. You can buy plastic stilts for fairly inexpensive, but they’re really easy to make. My daughter’s preschool had these, and the kids loved it when the teachers pulled them out. There was usually a line for them.
Take two coffee cans and two pieces of rope. The rope should be long enough that, doubled up, it can reach from your child’s hands to the floor with just a little to spare for knots and of course growing room.
Punch two holes in each coffee can, on opposite sides, a short distance from the bottom. Thread the rope through each hole and tie a knot on the inside end. This will form a loop for your child to hold while walking on top of the cans.
Any of these toy ideas can be painted or decorated as you like, but I think it’s best to let the kids decide how to decorate them. It’s just one more part of the play for them.
If you’re really into making homemade toys, consider buying Learn and Play the Green Way: Fun Activities with Reusable Materials
Tags: childrens toys, kids, recycle, recycled toys, reuse, toys
My 4 Favorite Budget Environmentalism Posts for 2009
Dec 29, 2009 Budget Environmentalism
My family has pretty much always been on a tight budget. While I’d love to have the freedom to do more things or to spend money on things that would make being green a bit easier, it’s not going to happen any time soon.
Of course that’s good in a lot of ways. It takes away much of the temptation to go overboard and fall into green consumerism.
Without further ado, the posts I most enjoyed creating about budget environmentalism this past year:
How Much Will Cloth Diapering Save Me?
While the pregnancy wasn’t planned, having a third child has been a lot of fun for me and I’ve gotten to do a lot of things that I didn’t get to do before, such as cloth diapering. And while I can’t yet say that it’s definitely true that cloth diapered babies potty train sooner, the baby is less than a year old and we’re already taking some early potty training steps.
Is the Cost of Going Green Worth It?
Sometimes people say going green isn’t worth the money, that you’ll spend more than you save. Not always true!
6 Ways Cutting Back is Good for Your Family
Being on a tight budget doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the benefits of having little money to spare. It’s not all bad at all. Stressful at times but also good motivation to make the most of the money you have and the time with your family.
Preparing Your Home for Winter
This is the first year I’ve lived someplace that gets reasonably cold in winter. By that I simply mean below freezing. We may or may not get snow, but that’s still much colder than any place I’ve lived before.
Getting ready for winter can help to save a lot of energy and money.
Preparing Your Home for Winter
Nov 2, 2009 Budget Environmentalism, Going Green
Things are cooling off around here some days. Not all of them; it’s about 91 degrees F out today. But then we’ve had nights down into the 30s, so I think I can definitely say winter is coming to our area.
This is a bigger home than I’ve had to deal with in years past, but it’s also better insulated. That’s a big help. There are still things that should be done to homes to get ready for winter.
Check for Drafts
If you can feel air coming in, or see an opening, you have a place for the cold to come in. At our old home, there were visible openings as well as windows that just weren’t tight enough to keep the cold out. This home is much newer, so there’s less of a problem.
If you find an opening, caulk or weatherstripping may help, depending on the kind of opening you’re dealing with.
Have Your Heater Checked
Having a professional check your heating system is a very good idea. They can confirm everything is working correctly. You may also want to check filters and replace as necessary. This will help keep air flowing efficiently.
Clean the Gutters
Gutters along the roof are much prone to becoming filled with leaves and other dirt. Clean them out so that water flows through them easily. This gives you more control over how water flows off your house.
Have Your Chimney Inspected
This is very important, doubly so if you enjoy having a fire in the fireplace.
Check Detector Batteries
You should have several smoke detectors in your home, and check the batteries regularly. Many of you have hopefully done this with the time change over the weekend, but if not do so now.
A carbon monoxide detector can also be a good idea. Have one on each level of the house at least, and near or in bedrooms is also a good idea. Some plug into your regular power outlets and do not need batteries.
Both smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors have test buttons. Use it to make sure their alarms really do work.
Install Storm Windows or Insulate Windows
If you have storm windows, this is the time of year to put them up. If you don’t and you need more insulation on your windows you have a few options.
In our house last year we put bubble wrap up in one window that was not well sealed. This kept the room significantly cooler in summer and helped in winter as well. It creates a layer of air, so that it’s harder for the cold outside to come in.
Blankets or heavy curtains can also help some.
Insulate Water Pipes
If you’re likely to get freezing weather, know which pipes need extra insulation at this time of year. I had frozen pipes one year at the old house, highly unusual for the area, and I am quite grateful that nothing burst. But waiting for the ice to melt so that toilets could be flushed and showers taken was kind of a pain.
Dress Warm Rather Than Heat the House
Just remember that heating the house is not the only way to stay warm in cold weather. Within reason, you can just put on a sweater, thick socks and warm shoes to keep warm. It’s much cheaper over time to heat your body than to heat your home, so long as you aren’t risking overdoing it.
Find the right balance for your family and you can really cut your heating bills.
Tags: cold weather, weatherproofing, winter
A Great Solution to Outgrown Kids’ Sport Equipment
Oct 16, 2009 Budget Environmentalism
I came across this post on Free Range Parenting about a website that helps parents to swap outgrown sports equipment. Not only is the website a really great idea, but some of the comments on the Free Range Kids post have some great tips about doing this in your own area.
It’s just a southern California site, not nationwide, but that makes sense. Kind of hard to do this long distance without losing a lot of money to shipping costs.
I really liked the comments about doing this through schools, though. I could even see it as a fundraiser if parents were willing to donate equipment. Keep the prices low and the school could probably make some pretty nice money without selling wrapping paper.
And as another person noted, Craigslist and Freecycle in your local area are good choices too.
So often kids outgrow things before they’re really worn out. It’s also a nice way to let your kids try out a sport they don’t know if they’re going to like with a smaller investment in the necessary equipment.
Tags: reuse, sports equipment, trading
Is Being Thrifty Bad for the Economy? What About the Environment?
Oct 13, 2009 Budget Environmentalism
Being thrifty became popular again with this most recent recession. Not for any environmental reasons, but because people had to.
But it’s kind of nice to think about how being thrifty also means you’re likely having less of an impact on the environment.
Some people are concerned, of course, that the new popularity of being thrifty is going to slow the economic recovery. And I would imagine they’re right. But I can’t help but feel that’s a good thing some ways.
Just think about how much your average American tends to waste. It’s quite a bit.
If less is wasted because we’re buying less, that’s going to be generally good for the environment.
It’s not perfect. Sometimes the cheapest items aren’t the best for the environment. But there are an awful lot of environmentally friendly products out there that make good sense for people who are really only interested in being thrifty, as they save money over time and on a short enough scale to be interesting.
Tags: saving money, thrifty
