No need to buy toys? 15 super fun and money-saving mini games

Mom Bobo has put together several mini games perfect for babies to play at home, all using materials you already have—no cost at all, just pure fun~

Collect 6–10 identical plastic bottles, plus one soft ball you have at home. This helps practice throwing motions, and older babies can even help arrange the bottles.

Tie empty plastic bottles to a backpack with string. When Bobo gets bored, let him run around with the backpack on. Great for high-energy kids, but safety first, of course.

For younger babies, simply fill the plastic bottles with beans or other noise-making items.

Drill small holes in the bottle caps and let your baby drop spaghetti into them. This surprisingly popular little game actually works well for fine motor skills. Spaghetti strands are thin and picking them up one by one is a challenge—great for training small muscles. For toddlers, try the beginner version without caps by just dropping them in. For even younger ones, swap thin spaghetti for easier-to-handle macaroni.

Punch holes in small jars, then cut some round paper discs from thick cardboard for throwing practice. It’s best if the jar is transparent. There's a trick to the holes: one horizontal, one vertical, and one diagonal. This helps train fine hand movements and hand-eye coordination.

Cut out a circle from felt, then cut facial features from different colored felt pieces. Done—felt surfaces are uneven so the facial parts won’t slide around easily, and the result looks quite nice. It's recommended to start with just one set of facial features for younger babies.

Just knead some dough (mix flour and water in about a 2:1 to 3:1 ratio, adjust to your liking—more water makes it softer), then give Bobo a few pieces of spaghetti to stick into the dough. You’ll get a beautiful dough tree. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to the dough for extra vibrancy~(Check out this guide to making homemade non-toxic playdough)

Mom Bobo loves playing with flour—making bread, noodles, etc. One day, when Bobo saw her playing with flour (making gnocchi), he wanted to join in too. She gave him a small box of flour, and he had a blast playing with it. He sang along while playing, brushed out a path with a brush, and even struck a gymnast’s ready pose. She also put flour on a baking tray and let him draw numbers or letters with his hands.

Use the stems of bok choy and broccoli to craft beautiful roses.

Bobo loves being in the kitchen with mom. When she chops veggies, he wants to chop too, and even goes to get his own tools (usually his clay tools). Give him a radish and he’ll be occupied for ages.

Hand him two pot lids to use as cymbals and he’ll be over the moon. (Find more kitchen games here)

Babies can learn dressing and undressing skills. Loose, oversized clothes are easier to manage, giving them a sense of achievement. Just doing this can be a whole lot of fun^^

All you need is double-sided tape and a sheet of thick colored paper (like calendar paper thickness), cut into strips, taped into loops, and strung together—done. Originally planning to make a bracelet, it turned out too short and became a crown instead, which somehow feels even fancier. Bobo’s job was to help peel off the double-sided tape. Older kids can do the whole thing by themselves and feel super accomplished.

A mini game learned online. If you find the right magnets, you can even play crazy hair stylist. Later, it turned out pipe cleaners were a bit prickly, so they were put in a plastic bottle and Bobo used the magnet to attract them through the bottle—it was really fun.

Materials needed: thick cardboard, paper tape, and stickers.
Cut the cardboard into circles, then into half circles, and roll them into cones. Glue them together. Then it’s Bobo’s turn to decorate with various stickers—done.

Cut thicker straws into small sections, add a shoelace, and you’re ready to play. Bobo made himself a necklace and insisted on wearing it, though he got shy when it came time for photos~ Oh, and even though mom carefully arranged the straws in a muffin tin, the little one’s first move was to “battle” them, scattering everything everywhere before finally getting started (sigh).

There are plenty more ideas—like the housewife’s best friend, “cardboard boxes,” which haven’t even made an appearance yet. Mom Bobo will organize and share more another time.
]Authorized repost | Original source[]

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