Handmade games

I have been searching for some fun activities for toddlers that can be done independently. 

The first idea I liked was using a tube as a drop for Pom poms. I originally taped it to a door but Amilia kept pulling it off. That is when I came up with this 

The tube was reinforced with duct tape and taped to the inside of the can. She enjoys repeating the simple cause and effect of this game.

I wanted something she could do with her hands that wouldn't be messy, so I found this idea on Pinterest. 

The paint is inside the bag. I sealed the top so it can't be opened and then you can draw on it and the paint moves around.  I made a few in other colors. This keeps the kids occupied while I cook dinner. 

This is a reading game I made up called "Middle Sound Mixup". I wrote each vowel on a separate clothes pin and made several CVC word sticks by writing an initial and and final consonant with a space in between for the vowel clip. The game is played by clipping a different vowel clip in between each set of consonants and reading the word and deciding if it is a real word or a nonsense word. So out of c and b you can make cab, cob, cub, and nonsense words ceb and cib.  This game could be modified for initial sounds with word families. 

I poked holes in the lids of these containers. One is for pushing little pom poms and the other for small pieces of pipe cleaners. 

These are discovery bottles I made to give to the nursery kids at church. I hot glued the lids on so nothing spills. You can put anything inside the water like glitter, beads, shells and add a few drops of food coloring to tint the water. 

With a little creativity and resourcefulness, you can make fun and educational activities using things on hand or recycled materials!