Playtime: Make Your Own Fun

Not only are handmade toys usually cheaper than picking up something at the toy store, they also provide entertainment in both making AND playing with them.

Today we've rounded up five homemade toy ideas that are sure to be crowd-pleasers. The first of which is this glockenspiel, which cleverly utilizes cooper pipes to deliver "a lovely bell-like tone". Check out the DIY for full instructions as well as tips on how to incorporate several learning subjects (such as mathematics, physics, and music theory) into playing with your completed piece. Then read on for four more inspiring ideas.

1. Shower Curtain Village Play Mat - Think making a play mat out of a shower curtain is ingenious?  Wait until you see the brilliant tool the creator made for achieving evenly spaced roads.
2. Table Top Easel - Nix the expensive and bulky store-bought easel and make a simple, and easily stored, table top version instead.
3. Velcro Sticks and Bottle Lids - These would be great for learning about shapes or just encouraging open-ended construction play.  They'd also be the ideal thing to play with while traveling or waiting for your food at a restaurant.
4. Fairies In a Jar - Need we say more?  You know your kids will love it.