First thing is..... mini bottles!
What you say? For some reason Brynn really enjoys carrying around mini shampoo bottles or sample size lotion bottles. You know the ones you'd find in a hotel. Thankfully her daddy sells anything found in a hotel, including.......bottles! She will literally just walk around carrying her bottles (think some of the joy is the thrill of finally being able to really walk). I think she enjoys these bottles because her precious hands can close easily around them. I believe she also enjoys how it feels on her teething little gums! Now since Brynn enjoys these bottles Bella also insists on having bottles of her own. We'll just find these bottles around the house and the two of them will run around playing with them for quite some time! WARNING: make sure they are tightly closed!
The second unconventional toy is..............music cards!
You know the hallmark cards you open and then it plays a song for you. The girls LOVES these. (Thanks to Mormor Domier for supplying us with them!) They both enjoy music and I think the novelty of it being in a card and them being able to make it go on their own is very exciting to them. Bella's favorite thing is to stick it in the middle of the room and run and dance circles around. I have no idea. : ) Brynn likes to sit and open and close it, open and close it, while rocking in a rhythmic fashion. It also helps if the card's theme excites them as you know the "Pink Princess" one did!
Also good for encouraging letter recognition and eventually reading!
Some other ideas that the girls enjoy are bags or purses just filled with trinkets. Bella LOVES her accessories as you know, so she enjoys having a purse with things inside (play phone, pretend keys, we have a lot of those barbie or princess kits with little makeup things and stuff that she loves). She'll carry around and play with things inside. Brynn also enjoys just going through the bag or purse and just inspecting the treasures inside.
Another "toy" I like to offer up in a crunch is brushing their teeth. For some reason both girls have always loved to brush their teeth. I know good thing, right? Bella would see us do it and always wanted to do it to. So I allow her to brush herself and then we finish with mommy or daddy brushing. So if I'm trying to get ready or something and they're getting antsy or bored I just say, "Let's brush our teeth!" I stick Brynn in the excersaucer so she doesn't walk around with it in her mouth (I think she enjoys it because it feels good on her gums) and Bella will just stand in the bathroom watching herself in the mirror!
So those are just a couple of things that have worked for me! Do you have any unconventional toys you'd like to share!?
Be sure to check out the originator of Works for Me Wednesday here!
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