The Greatest Kids Toys

We have an inside joke in the family about opening gifts that started a couple years ago. The then-3-year-old was a very enthusiastic gift opener. He tore the wrapping paper off a box and shouted with glee, “look, cardboard!” He didn’t know there was a toy inside the box and literally was ecstatic at receiving a cardboard box. So now, the 6-year-old will make the joke, “Look, cardboard!” everytime someone's opening a gift. 

The joke may have lost its power, but the truth behind it is still there. Kids love cardboard boxes. It’s cliche but true; often times you give kids a toy and find them having more fun with the box it came in.

I can still remember the day my dad bought a new weed eater when I was a kid. It was one of those long, gas powered ones and came in a sturdy, long cardboard box. My friend and I played with this thing for hours. It was an escape tunnel, a tower, a fort. It was anything we wanted it to be, except a plain box.

Instead of lamenting this, we parents should be taking advantage of it. I mean, if we can get away with giving inexpensive gifts that kids love, why not? And based on my experience with the boys, the best toys are not limited to boxes.

Empty paper towel rolls are just as thrilling (and empty gift wrapping rolls are even better). The boys use them as megaphones and tunnels for Hot Wheels cars, as well as Light Sabers and swords. They are probably one of the most versatile items in your house and you’ve been throwing them away as if they’re trash. Tisk, tisk.

Drinking straws are in similar demand. Again, we’re talking plastic straws that are like 50 for $1, but to the boys they are much more valuable. They’re construction pieces and weapons for action figures. They’re flag holders and control towers in Army men games. And they haven’t even discovered the blowgun possibilities yet.

Empty oatmeal containers have proven to be quite useful to the boys too. They store toys in them, use them as drums, and even just make games of destroying them. The boys are going to destroy something, so it might as well be something we would throw out anyway.

Really any empty container (bubble bottles, coffee tins, soda bottles, etc) make for great playthings. I buy the boys some buckets for the sandbox but they’d rather fill the empty bubble container with sand. I buy the boys a soccer ball, they kick an empty two liter bottle around instead. I’m telling you, I’ve been doing gift buying all wrong.

I guess what they say is true: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Or in this case, one man’s trash, is treasured by kids.