Homemade Baby Toy for Older Siblings to Make

When I was pregnant for my third baby I was always looking around for things that would help my other two children share in the excitement of a new baby in the house.   Having activities for our kids lined up seems to help ease the transition and forestall feelings of jealousy a bit when older children feel that they have a personal stake in the baby.  Cathy over at NurtureStore has a great idea along these lines for helping older children create art for babies.  

DIY Baby Toy

I loved this tutorial I found at Joy’s Hope for a baby toy you can make that crinkles out of a cereal bag  and fabric scraps.  It was easy to make, inexpensive, and a great way to use up little scraps of ribbon.

I thought it might be neat to modify it a little bit in order to involve my four-year-old and one and a half-year-old.  Instead of using flannel, on one side I used a plain white cotton fabric and let the kids decorate that side with fabric markers.   (I dressed my kids in old clothes during this activity for fear that the fabric markers would stain.  As it turned out, though, even the toddler didn’t have a problem keeping it off their clothing.  Fabric markers are definitely a lot cleaner than paint!)

If you do this craft, it is a good idea to let your kids color the scraps of cotton before you put the toy together.  Once it is stuffed with the cereal bag, it is harder to keep the coloring smooth.

Because I knew my toddler was still in the scribbling phase, I first created a black outline with a message for the baby that she could color.

Now that our baby is here and starting to be interested in baby toys, my girls are so excited to bring him their homemade toys and thrilled when he plays with them.

For more fun projects that kids can make themselves…

• Canvas Totes Your Preschooler Can Make
• A Simple Pillow
• Simple Sewing Projects for Kids