Good Toys for a Buck
Do you love a visit to the dollar store? I do. And I love to share the experience with others.
Just a couple of months ago, I was with a family member who had never been in a dollar store of any type. I took her to a Dollar Tree. All she could say was, “And this? This is a dollar, too? What about this? Surely this isn’t a dollar?”
And I’ll I kept saying was, “Yep. That’s a dollar, too.”
No, you’re not going to find the latest, coolest, most expensive toys out there. But you will find a great selection of simple toys that can keep your kids busy during the long summer days. Sidewalk chalk, pool toys, bubbles, finger paints, coloring books, dolls, cars, wiffle balls, and the list goes on……
And the best thing? When your children get bored with one activity after about 5 minutes (let’s say, the sidewalk chalk, as a totally random example), it won’t bother you that you and your spouse are the only ones left drawing on the driveway. After all, it only cost you a dollar.
We’re curious to know what everyone is spending on toys these days. Please VOTE in our poll in the sidebar on the right. Thank you!
Tags: bubbles, cheap-toys, coloring-books, dollar-store, dollar-tree, finger-paints, pool-toys, sidewalk-chalk, toy-cars, toys, wiffle-ballsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: General Play Library Goodies, Play Library Polls
6 opinions for Good Toys for a Buck
Dirty Butter
Jul 9, 2006 at 2:58 pm
I’ve always thought their toys looked too flimsy to be worth buying at any price. So I’m wrong, eh?
BV
Kerri Aldrich
Jul 9, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Dirty Butter: Definitely don’t go there looking for anything heirloom, but something to get through a few days at Grandma’s and you’re set. Also, if you’re visiting someone and they don’t have plastic dishes (which we have a ton of at our house!), they have plates and bowls that will get you through so you don’t have a damages bill at the end of your visit. ;)
Play Library » Hula Hoop Tag
Jul 10, 2006 at 7:59 pm
[...] You already know that I love the dollar stores, and one of the reasons is that they carry hula hoops. Yes, for a dollar! And the great thing about hula hoops for a dollar is that you can have a bunch of friends over, with a bunch of cheap hula hoops, and play a game that we invented called Hula Hoop Tag. [...]
Play Library » Homemade Play-doh
Oct 9, 2006 at 3:36 pm
[...] Now, don’t get me wrong. I love the real stuff. Play-doh is a staple in our home. Sometimes, though, you don’t realize that you’re just about out (or that what you have left is about as doughy as a brick) until it’s an absolutely impossible situation in which to run out to the dollar store to pick up a few little tubs. [...]
Play Library » Ornament Crafts with the Kids
Nov 27, 2006 at 12:57 pm
[...] Baldman took some of our cookie cutters (these can be found for a dollar or less) and traced them onto chipboard (thin pieces of thin cardboard) for our templates. I freehanded the stocking (you’re amazed at my artistic abilities, aren’t you? ). We then used the templates to trace the shapes onto construction paper. I found lots of glitter, stickers, cotton balls (for the stocking tops), and pompons at the dollar store to use as decorations for the ornaments. We used glue to trace shapes and words for which to adhere the glitter. I’d recommend having some newspaper or another large piece of paper for the crafting surface. That way, you can let the kids go to town with the glitter and then just shake off the excess and funnel the leftovers back into the glitter container. Glitter glue would also be a less messy alternative. (Less messy? What’s the fun in that?!?) [...]
Play Library » Amazing Bubble Machine
Mar 31, 2007 at 11:14 pm
[...] requires about 6 AA batteries and a bit of bubble solution (I just pick up a big jug of it from the dollar store a few times each summer). I don’t often pull out the machine, because it’s usually more [...]
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