Small steps: Play time

[This story first appeared in the Oct-Nov 2014 issue of Green Ideas magazine.]

Easy playdough

Toddlers going stir crazy and you need a cheap activity? Here’s an easy recipe for homemade playdough:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• food colouring
• added extras: glitter, rice; anything to change the texture, provide sparkle or hidden treasure

Combine all ingredients in a pot on low heat. Stir continuously. The gloopy mixture will start to bind, thicken and come away from the sides of the pot. Once this happens remove from heat. Tip mixture out on to floured surface and knead until a nice ball is formed. Now it’s time to hand it over. Give the little ones a collection of safe kitchen utensils for them to mould, pattern and create with. – Rebecca

Squishy toys

Try filling balloons with playdough – kids love the squishy texture (and it’s tidier too!). – Green Ideas team

Throwing games

Make a sticky spider web by running lengths of masking tape across an open door frame – then use rolled up balls of newspaper to make a fun throwing game where the goal is to stick the paper balls on to the web. – Green Ideas team

Cloud dough

This is a sensory wonder for little ones, creating a flour-like texture that can be shaped and created with. Bit messier than play dough though!

• 1 cup cornflour
• 1/4 cup oil
• powdered paint for colouring

Mix thoroughly, you need to get your hands in there. Then put it into a tray with sides (an old roasting tray will work) and start playing! – Rebecca

Balloon rockets

Tape a straw to a balloon, then thread a length of wool through the straw and tie the two ends to two different parts of the house – a couple of chairs, say. Now you have a balloon rocket: when you inflate then release the balloon it will race along the track! – Green Ideas team

In the garden

To make a bird feeder glue the lid of a wide-necked plastic bottle (cream size or similar) to the base of a takeaway container. Next, prick small holes in the bottle with a large needle, close to where it will screw into the lid. Fill the bottle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and water, screw the cap (and container) on, and hang it somewhere out of cat reach. – Lesley

Newspaper kites

When I was a child we used to make kites out of newspaper, doweling, string and flour and water paste; sometimes we would paint smiley faces on them in different colours. Kept us amused for hours! (First by making the kites, then we would fly them.) – Daphne

Simple rattle

When my daughter was a bit younger I took an empty plastic bottle with a screw top and filled it with rice to make her a rattle, instead of buying one. – Felicity

Marble fun

Make a marble run out of old paper towel rolls, toilet roll or wrapping paper rolls. Cut them open lengthways and tape them to a wall so kids can drop marbles in and watch them drop from level to level. – Pip

Race day

Here’s an easy one. Make a bowl of popcorn then grab a straw for each of your kids. Mark out a racecourse on the floor and have popcorn races by using the straws to blow a piece of popcorn down the track.

– Green Ideas team

Bath paint

It’s easy to turn bath time into a play session with homemade bath paint. Just mix:

• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 4-6 pumps baby shampoo
• 2-3 drops food colouring
• 1-2 tablespoon water

 – Pennie

Share your ideas!

We’re celebrating the little things our readers do to live more sustainably because big changes start with small steps. If you’d like to share some of your own tips, tricks or recipes, email them to [email protected] (preferably with a photo) and we might include them in the magazine.