Parenting & Guardianship

with Roberta Smart

Make the most of what you have

We all know that it’s a good idea to recycle and do our bit for the planet. Being green, cutting down waste and avoiding adding to the landfill is a central focus for many families these days.

One way you can avoid creating waste is to be mindful of what you buy for babies as toys. With so much plastic found in baby toys, this could be an area in which you can achieve many things in one fell swoop.

How? By creating toys for your children using items you no longer have use for, such as a ‘Busy Board’.

Use household items to make a sensory board

By taking a piece of plywood, sanding the edges smooth and lacquering for protection, you create a base upon which you can attach any number of household items which you may have in a drawer, cupboard or garden shed.

A door latch attached securely, a bell to push, a few unused keys on a short chain, a piece of heavy rope to grab, a door handle, a wooden flap on a hinge.

All manner of domestic hardware would be fascinating for baby to grab, pull, push, manipulate and be a great way to utilise existing items – as long as they are clean and safe, of course. And what’s even better, this board can be used again and again, passed down through generations of babies and never wear out.

If you like the idea of textiles rather than hardware and feel more at home with soft furnishings than a drill, why not make a fiddle blanket or cushion instead?

By gathering oddments of different textured fabrics, including ribbon, cord, silk, satin, cotton and velvet, and featuring contrasting colours, layering fabrics and adding buttons, bows, knots and fringes onto a sturdy, well-finished blanket or cushion, you will create an aesthetically pleasing and highly entertaining toy for your baby.

I also have to add that if you happen to have a family member with any form of brain injury, dementia or limited cognition, these toys can be perfect for them to touch, hold, engage with and enjoy.

Allow them to touch and explore

I am now working with adults with dementia, as well as enjoying a new granddaughter, and I am fascinated by the parallels in ways to engage and entertain the minds of these two groups of humans, who although at different stages of life, share some fundamental similarities which are joyous to observe. Each loves to touch, to explore, to self soothe through holding, grabbing and using hands to ‘see’ what is in front of them.

If you can recycle old elements rather than throw away, have the pleasure of creating something useful and attractive, and see the joy on faces as these items are used again and again, I would say, of all my recommendations, this might just be the best one yet! Why not have a go this summer and see what you can create?