Book Recommendation: Steven Caney’s Toy Book
With toy recalls coming faster than a toddler’s diaper changes these days, it seems natural to turn to homemade options for our children’s playthings. One great resource for toy ideas is Steven Caney’s Toy Book. First published in 1972, it was reissued in 1990 and still stands the test of time. Some toys are simple, like a kazoo made from wax paper rubber-banded onto a cardboard tube, or the clever toothpicks-and-peas building set. (The peas act as hubs into which you stick the toothpicks.) You can also try science-oriented toys, like a barometer made from a glass jar, balloon, and straw, or a giant magnifying glass made by pouring water into plastic wrap stretched over a bucket. (Cut a hole in the side of the bucket so you can insert your specimens.) Milk-carton boats, soap crayons for drawing on the tub, a garden on a sponge, ring tosses, parachutes . . . lots of old classics plus some creations you may not have heard of before.
Children ages one through ten will likely find something of interest to play with here. At about age four, children can start making the toys themselves (though often with an adult’s help).
What are your favorite toys to make from household objects?
Filed under: Books for Kids, Kids' Activities
[...] Yesterday I mentioned Steven Caney’s Toy Book as a great source of ideas for homemade kids’ toys. Along the same vein, but with an added bonus, is The Science Explorer by Pat Murphy, Ellen Klages, and Linda Shore of the San Francisco Exploratorium Museum. It’s chock-full of quick, craft-like projects aimed at six- to nine-year-olds, plus explanations of the science behind them. Children a little younger might still be amused by many of the gooey, noisy, flying things, without quite as much technical information, and those a little older might work some into a larger science-fair project. Many of the ideas in the book are also available on the Science Explorer Web site. [...]