Toys and Playground Stuff from the Hardware

Photo credit Shaun Sullivan, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

One of my favorite places to explore for unusual toys or play equipment is the hardware store. I love browsing the aisles in my local store such as Home Depot or The Handyman for things that are not necessarily toys, but end up being great learning materials.

In my personal experience, I’ve used floorboards, tiles, putty, and cement for different kinds of activities. I’ve even made pachinko boards with those teeny tiny nails and scrap wood. From old tires, we’ve made swing sets and obstacle courses. My dream, however, is to get one of those extra large stainless steel drums or those cement tunnels (like that in the photo above) for our school playground. I remember that as a child, those were my favorite spots in my village playground. I would creep into the tunnel with a book and just spend hours there in my own little hideaway.

Some things I keep in mind, however, when using non-toy materials for toys are the following:

1. Is it safe?
2. Are there any potential risks to using these?
3. How can I make it more attractive to kids (especially since hardware stuff are pretty plain and simple, right?
4. Is making the toy out of this worth the effort or is it cheaper to simply buy a ready-made toy?

Have you made any toys from non-toy materials? If so, what and would you like to share these ideas?

If you found this post interesting, informative and educational, feel free to take home my notes by subscribing here.

Be Sociable, Share!

•