Toys

So in a couple of months Ella is turning one... let's just not think about that right now.

But it made me start thinking about what I should get Ella for her birthday

 and I was looking around online for ideas and what it kind of resulted in, was me finding lots of toys that I could make for Ella, not for her birthday, but just as everyday toys.

Recently I've had a brand new handmade toy to introduce to her every morning because they are just so easy to make (like seriously, 5 minutes or less, no joke) and the supplies are things just lying around your home.

 I filled these little easter eggs with fish crackers, fruit puffs, cheerios and other dry cereals so that when you shake them they make cool noises-- and Ella LOVES noises. 

They are also the perfect size for Ella's little hands. 

Occasionally Ella is able to break them open and she gets so excited by the treat inside.

 Lids.

Ella thinks they are the most wonderful thing.

I threw some lids in a milk carton that I had cut holes in.

What the baby is supposed to do is drop the lids in and pull them out, but what Ella likes to do is stick her arm in there and wave her arm around and all the lids go flying in the carton so it makes the most gloriously chaotic noise.
She also likes to crawl around the house with a lid in hand, I have no idea why, but she loves it!

And fabric squares that you pull out of the wipes bin.
She doesn't love this as much as I was hoping she would.
She loves to pull her wipes out but I guess fabric squares aren't as fun because it doesn't result in your momma exclaiming, "Oh Ella! You pulled all your wipes out again? Why?!"

Ella has been playing with these ring pops inside their wrappers since she was five months old and she still loves them.

She likes them because the wrapper makes such a great crinkly noise
Any candy with a crinkly wrapper is awesome, as long as it doesn't pop open too easily.

Also, empty pop bottles are the best.
She chases them around the house, flailing her arms, and they go bouncing and flying and make all sorts of cool noises.
The best is when she corners them in the corner and just flails and giggles and is loving life and her pop bottles.

Oh, and dry noodles in a tupperware-- one of her favorite rattles. 

And then there's the empty water bottle with the dyed water and floating shapes and sparkles and beads, just tape that lid down so she can't get it off.

This one doesn't make cool enough noises, though, so it isn't as loved right now.

 

The ideas for the toys came from here, here, and here. 

They have more ideas that look so awesome, I just haven't gotten around to making them yet.

So anyway, what I kind of want to get Ella for her birthday, that can't be easily replaced by a homemade toy, is this tricycle:

It is made so that it can hold a 1-year-old and you can push them around with that handle.

But then the handle can come off so it can be just a normal trike that she rides when she is two and three, so it grows with them for several years-- cool huh?

It's kind of way fun to look at toys and try and find the good ones.