Natural Toddler Toys

The following is a transcription of an interview with Melitsa Avila, natural toys expert and mom of 2. You can also listen to the interview here. In this interview Melitsa talks about using natural materials as toys for babies and toddlers. You can also browse her site for more ideas!

Carrie: Your site has tons of play ideas for children that don't involve flashy, electronic toys. Tell us about some of your favorite activities that you write about and enjoy with your kids.

Melitsa: I'm a big fan of drawing and doing activities side by side. Play dough is a big favorite, we like to make our own. Restaurant is a favorite this week. Drawing, coloring - not just coloring in pictures already printed up. We like to make our own pictures, cut them out and make them into displays of some sort, and make them into stories.

Carrie: In your research, what have you found in terms of unplugged fun being better for kids?

Melitsa: The biggest thing is that people find it hard to use everyday things they have at home to have fun with. So they rely on toys, plastic toys or expensive toys that whirl and do 3 or 4 things. They don't realize they can do so much with things they have at home. To children it's not boring. They really enjoy it. Things like going for a walk: there are so many things you can do to stimulate your children as you go along. Looking at colors, listening to sounds and trying to identify them, playing Simon Says, collecting things. Recently we went to a high place and sat on the top of a hill and looked over. Vocabulary - lots of things came out. Instead of having to spend money, you're enjoying the moment and thinking of creative ways to make the moment stand out.

The hardest thing is that parents want something complicated. We can't imagine that playing with a wooden spoon or box that can be exciting. But those are exactly the kiinds of things children need to play with to stimulate curiosity. perhaps exciting - there's too much of that anyway! It's a balance. There needs to be time when the kids can be creative and have curiousity piqued rather than pressing buttons all the time. With open ended activities.

C: How many times my kids have not wanted me to throw something away - mom don't throw away the toilet paper rolls because we're making a light sabre! Every parent has discovered the phenomenon where we are not allowed to get rid of a cardboard box! What about doing ordinary household things together?

M: If you slow down and accept that things won't e done at your pace, and this is a time for your kids to be learning... and the best teacher is you. They're practicing their skills and having fun. It gives them something productive to do that makes them feel that they're part of the household.

C: Sometimes when we get stressed or busy we want to push them aside. I find that if I shoo away that thought, it ends up taking less time if I include them. If I don't they're going to pick fights or vy for my attention. They'll help me for a few minutes then move on...

M: I have a 2 year old and he's always getting the cups out hoping he can pour and scoop.

C: And it helps meet their needs. They have a desire to emulate us, so if we allow that we are meeting their emotional needs. Treasure baskets looks really intriguing. It reminds me of when my oldest was a toddler, I had a cupboard in the kitchen that I allowed him unrestricted access to with all kinds of junk in there he loved to play with. I have pictures of him and his brother peeking out of the cabinet.

M: Treasure baskets are very popular in the UK and they're not done so much over here. People here are more concerned about the safety and cleanliness aspect. It's a basket full of natural products you find around the home. Whisks, wooden spoons.. all different textures. Different sizes so the child will sit and experiment. A sitting child about 6 months - they have this basket and you don't do anything, just put the things in front of them and let them go to town. You clean it the best way you want. You can have pine cones in there... let them explore. And feel and touch.

There's not a lot of touching and feeling that goes on anymore. We're hyperaware of keeping everything out of their mouths, not allowing them to explore. That's the primary way children that age explore - mouthing. It allows you to observe them and see how much they are thrilled with feeling the length and weight of it, they're learning so much whereas we want to take it away from them. They can be absorbed for 15 minutes, which is a long time for a young child!

C: My take on the safety issue - I think we are so overly cautious. I think children have a natural sense of self preservation. They pull back when something it shot, they're interested when something feels interesting. They are so much smarter than we seem to want to give them credit for. A baby holding a pinecone - that would not have freaked me out at all. It bothered people that I allowed my toddler to eat with a fork. Old ladies in the restaurant would say, don't you think he's going to poke his eye out!?! I think it's fantastic. That wire whisk was my baby's favorite thing because it's so interesting!

M: That being curious leads to more creativity. They realize they can do differnet things with the same object and that's a really important concept. Getting them used to the feel of grass, wet leaves, all of those things is very important.

C: What are some other ideas for frugal fun?

M: I tend to look around the home and see what I already have. I had masking tape in abundance at one point. We made shapes on the ground and walked around the shapes and jumped inside. Then we made ropes and drove our little cars along the road. I use what I see about and try to adapt that to what I think the kids would like to do. I go to the library a lot and use storytime. I can read magazines and get ideas. Mine enjoy dress up. We have a big box of old clothes and costumes. I find that I follow their lead. They like to play with things that I would never have thought of. My 5 year old is saving all the wooden popsicles sticks, I don't know what she has in mind!

M: Children love stories. You find yourself reading the same over and over. We know that repetition is important... but there are many other books left on the shelf. We started to record them using a computer microphone and a simple program. They've been listening to audio stories. It's a differnet way of listening to the stories, and he can listen when he wants to. Even the toddler points to the computer and brings a book so I know he wants to listen. You see where your children are - you have to be tuned into that.

Find natural toddler toys online