Who needs plastic?

I awoke to the wonderful sound of rain, tapping a constant stattaco on the roof above. The sky was grey, puddles formed on the lawn wherever they could. I lay in bed, listening to this wonderful, rare sound, thankful it had arrived, and wondering if it was falling in all the right places.

The previous night, I had lain awake and planned out the day ahead. It mostly involved lots of outdoor time, digging in the sandpit, throwing a ball to the dogs, painting, and all the wonderful fun things one does on a clear, mild winter’s day when one is two, and life is an adventure.

Instead, I found myself rummaging in the craft box once more. Elbow-deep in rescued cardboard boxes, I triumphantly pulled two toilet rolls from the depths. Adding some felt, wool, and paddle-pop sticks to the pile, we gathered our finds and retired to the warmth of the loungeroom to get creative.

Soon thereafter, our rapidly expanding home made toy collection welcomed “Snow White” & “Happy Hippy” into their midst.

I am loving all these home-made toys. It’s great to get creative with the toddler, plus it fits with all three of the “R’s”:

reduce – we reduce the amount of manufacturing plastic & associated packaging coming into our house.

reuse – pretty obvious! We mainly use items we already have in the house, that would be thrown in the recycling bin anyway.

recycle – all these toys are recyclable when no longer in use, or damaged, reducing the amount of landfill.

Fun to make, fun to play with, and gentler on the environment – what more does one need in a toy!