Six months ago today, my family moved in with my parents when my husband transferred to a new job. Throughout the past half year, I have had plenty of time to sort through old belongings I’ve saved.
I vaguely remember having a hard time choosing which toys to get rid of and which toys I should keep just in case I ever had children. Well, my children are here, and they’re now old enough to play with Mommy’s old toys.
We’ve had so much fun together – I’ve had a great time unearthing my old toys, but my favorite thing has been watching my children squeal with delight and truly enjoy my old playthings. My Strawberry Shortcakes still smell fruity. My kitchen toys – appliances, plates and toy food – look the same and are fun to play with. All of my little miniatures are still fun. (And my Barbies are tucked carefully away until Little Sister is old enough to appreciate them.)Aside from basic and obvious hazards – many are probably covered with lead-based paint and many things include tiny choke hazards – they’re still fun. I watch my children carefully to make sure they keep the toys out of their mouths and help them wash their hands before they eat. And then I let them have a ton of fun, just like I always did.
Lessons learned
When I recently discovered two huge tins full of Legos that had been passed along from family members, I realized this kind of toy use and enjoyment is a totally Accidentally Greenway of living. Legos are a kind of toy that never change (well, OK … they do come out with cooler sets all the time). I simply washed, rinsed and dried all of the hand-me-down Legos so that they’re nice and clean, and voila! Suddenly, my Lego-less children suddenly had a more extensive Lego collection than I ever did.This brought me to two conclusions:
1) It’s important to buy good toys that many children can play with, and
2) Reusing old toys is a great way to cut back on waste AND spending. Christmas may be long gone, but when you’re choosing toys for your children, look for quality items. These kinds of toys are probably less likely to cause harm, plus passing them along to other children – whether saving them for decades like I did, or simply donating them to a battered woman’s shelter – makes them a good investment. I would rather have my children play with decent toys instead of some flimsy piece of junk. The flimsy toys typically are the most dangerous, anyway.
During garage sale season this spring and summer, look for good toys that your children can use. Clean them well, since you don’t know where they came from or what they were used for. (Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide both are effective at sanitizing surfaces – plus, they’re a lot safer than bleach.) And when you know that friends or family members are scaling back on toys, ask to see them, first. Look for hand-me-down toys, even if it means paying a modest price. You just might be surprised with what you can find.
Creating your own toys
Sometimes, it’s easy to curb spending and waste by creating toys out of what you already have. For instance, forget about buying doll clothes – simply reuse baby clothes you’ve saved. (Or do something as simple as transforming a plastic coffee can into a handy sand pail.)
Talk back
What are some thrify, resourceful ways you find toys for your children? How have you made toys out of items you already have?
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