The Toy Box
You don't need a lot of store-bought, primary-colored plastic objects to entertain your baby. Besides, whether or not you fill a shopping cart at the toy store, you'll soon find out that you have more of those toys than you ever wanted. Some of the best baby toys are things you already have around the house.
Once your baby can sit, she'll love playing with containers. Plastic food storage containers work just as well as primary-colored ones sold in toy stores. She'll play with them empty, but will like them even better with something to dump out of them — water, sand, oatmeal, and birdseed all have great dumping potential.
Your baby will want your television remote control. She sees other people in the family jockeying for its possession — she'll know it's important. She won't be placated with a toy one, with its chunky buttons and bright colors. Dig up an old remote (you know you have one somewhere), remove the batteries, and tape the battery cover on.
She'll like to empty your kitchen cabinets. Don't childproof everything. Instead, make sure one or more drawers or cabinets are filled with things she can safely empty out.
Stick to the classics when you do buy toys. Some baby toys you remember from your childhood are still around — there's a reason for that. These toys typically can be played with in a variety of ways and will interest your baby for years.
