Ever give a kid a toy and all she wants to do is play with the box?

It happens over and over in this house. Until Little Stapler turned 2 or so, he would find something fun to do with the wrapping paper and box. Heck, for his second Christmas it took him all week to open his gifts because he kept getting distracted by the wrappings and the toy!

Over the past year, Baby Stapler has had a lot of fun with a lot of things that aren’t toys.

It reminded me that sometimes I have a lot of fun doing things that aren’t “activities” or “entertainment” per se. We actually have some fun family time at the grocery store. While Little Stapler is at choir, I have fun chatting with other moms out in the hallway. We have a great time walking into town as a family, too.

None of these “activities” cost money. Well, yes, grocery shopping costs money — but we would be spending it anyway. All we’re doing is looking at our daily tasks as opportunities for connection with each other. Sometimes that’s all it takes to have a good time. A lot of the time, it’s the connections we make with others that create the good time.

In that vein, I thought I would share some of the fun things that Baby Stapler has turned into toys during the past year — as a fun reminder that

the holidays are what we make of them, not what the stuff makes of us.

I’m not recommending that you give your niece a box for the holidays, but I think this list of frugal toys can serve as a reminder that many babies and kids are easy to please. With that caveat, I present to you …

Baby Stapler’s Favorite Frugal Toys

Cardboard Box and Packing Paper Imagination Station

Aluminum Pan Stacking Toys

 Shampoo Bottle Teether

Tupperware Drums

Seltzer Bottle Snuggly

Light and Shadow Science Kit

Forget learning all we need to know in kindergarten — my baby reminded me before he turned one!