Overrated Baby Products You Don’t Need & How To Entertain Toddlers Without Toys
Parenting in the age of Instagram is exhausting. Everywhere you look, influencers and ads tell you that your kid will only thrive if they have a curated playroom filled with the latest educational toys. But will your kid play with a Montessori learning tower that costs more than your grocery bill? Or are they more excited with the box it came in?
You don’t need a Pinterest-worthy nursery or the latest developmental gadget to raise a happy, curious kid. Kids are wired to find magic in the simplest things. Once you strip away the societal pressure to provide “the best of the best,” you’ll realize that simple play — not fancy, overpriced nonsense — is what truly sparks their joy.
The Registry Rabbit Hole: Lessons I Wish I’d Learned Beforehand
When I was pregnant with my first (and only) baby, I took curating my registry very seriously. I wasn’t about to let some influencer dictate my (or my friends’ and family’s) spending, so I spent hours reading reviews, comparing prices, and trying to find the perfect balance between perceived value and actual cost. I wanted to make sure that every item on that list was essential and worth every penny.
Looking back, I wish someone had told me to focus my registry on what we’d need for the first month. Instead, I agonized over everything from baby carriers to “must-have” developmental toys for milestones we wouldn’t even hit until six months down the road.
Case in point: Sophie la Girafe. You’ve seen her. The iconic $27 teether that every baby seems to need, according to social media and every list of “registry essentials.” I didn’t buy her outright, but she made the cut on my registry along with some more affordable options. She looked cute, she had great reviews, and I thought, “If it keeps my kid happy, it’s worth it.”
Fast forward a few months… We were gifted half a dozen teethers, and guess what? My son had zero interest in any of them. What did he prefer instead?
The TV remote.
My phone.
The straps on his stroller.
Literally anything except the toys I’d so carefully selected for his oral fixations.
That’s when I realized I’d been played — not by my kid, but by the marketing machine that convinced me I needed these things in the first place. My son didn’t need a $27 giraffe to chew on. He just wanted to explore the world, and everything he touched was fair game for his mouth.
However, we ended up buying a Fire Stick TV Remote Control Shape Teether so he could have his own.
The lesson? Babies don’t care about your registry. They don’t need half the stuff you think they do, and the things they actually love are often things you already have lying around. They care about sensory experiences, novelty, and, above all, your attention. From that moment on, I decided to ditch the guilt-fueled spending and get creative with what I already had.
Household Hacks: Turning Everyday Objects Into the Best Toys
Want to know what kids actually need to have fun? Go to your kitchen. Check out what’s not a choking hazard in your junk drawer. Seriously. Your house is a goldmine of “toys” that cost exactly $0. Here are some of the unsung heroes of simple play:
Wooden Spoons and Pots: Forget the toy drum set. Your kitchen utensils make the perfect instruments for a rock concert (or a noise complaint).
Plastic Containers and Lids: A toddler with a Tupperware container is basically a scientist conducting their first physics experiment.
Cardboard Boxes: A box isn’t just a box—it’s a rocket ship, a castle, or a fort. Give your kid some markers, and they’ll create their own world faster than you can say “two-day shipping.”
Bubble Wrap: Save that packaging! Supervised popping sessions are like free therapy for toddlers (and, let’s be honest, for you too).
Nature’s Freebies: Sticks, rocks, leaves—nature is the ultimate free toy aisle. Go on a scavenger hunt and watch their imaginations take flight.
My son’s favorites? A salad dressing bottle from the fridge. He flips it, shakes it, rolls it—and he’s entertained for ages. And nothing is more fun than placing the coffee pods back into their carousel. Meanwhile, the teethers and other toys gather dust.
Creative Play Without the Cost: Magic of Everyday Moments
You don’t even need to overthink it. Kids are naturally curious about whatever you’re doing.
Laundry: That’s not a chore — it’s hide-and-seek with Dad’s shirts.
Dishes: Sprinkle a little water their way, and suddenly it’s the highlight of their day.
Cooking: Hand them a wooden spoon and a bowl, and suddenly they’re hosting their own cooking show.
Grocery Unpacking: Let them hand you items one by one for a game of “what’s in the bag?”
Cleaning: Give them a mini broom or a (clean) rag, and they’ll happily “help” as a miniature cleaning crew.
Making Coffee: Let them press the buttons on the coffee machine — it’s like operating a spaceship to them.
Feeding Pets: Scooping kibble is the ultimate responsibility for little animal lovers.
The secret is involving them in the mundane. They don’t need elaborate setups; they just want to be part of your world. Bonus: It’s a great way to bond without spending a dime.
Why Simple Play is the Key to Happy, Curious Kids
Beyond saving money (and sanity), simple play has real developmental benefits. All those “educational” toys claim to boost your child’s brainpower, but here’s the thing: unstructured, imaginative play is where the magic really happens. And when you involve your kids in the everyday tasks of life, you’re not just keeping them entertained—you’re setting them up for success in the long run.
Creativity: When kids play with open-ended items like cardboard boxes or wooden spoons, they’re flexing their problem-solving and storytelling muscles.
Motor Skills: Crawling into a fort or drumming on a pot? That’s gross motor development at work. Stacking Tupperware lids? Hello, fine motor skills.
Emotional Growth: Simple play fosters independence, confidence, and pure, unfiltered joy. They’re not learning to rely on a toy to entertain them — they’re learning to rely on themselves.
Life Skills and Responsibility: Including kids in mundane tasks like folding laundry keeps them busy but also teaches them responsibility and prepares them for life. Toddlers who “help” now are practicing skills they’ll use later to contribute to the household — and eventually, their own. Handing them the dustpan or letting them feed the dog isn’t just play; it’s the first step toward building a solid work ethic. Plus, kids who are involved in these activities from an early age are more likely to pitch in willingly as they grow older because they’ve already been part of the team.
Also worth mentioning is that the obsessive trend for wooden toys isn’t glamorous. My son has ruined more “durable” wooden toys than I can count. Those ads and pretty pictures don’t illustrate that paint marks are left wherever my son slams the brightly colored pieces. And that composite wood falls apart after multiple days of being sucked on. Plus, those wooden balls for the popular Montessori ball drop? Let me know how safe they are when your toddler hurls one at your face.
Breaking Free from the “More” Mentality in Parenting
Let’s address the elephant in the room: the pressure to give your child more — more toys, more activities, more everything. It’s rooted in this toxic idea that if you’re not going all out, you’re failing. But let me tell you, the constant “more” isn’t helping anyone, least of all your kid.
When you hand your child every toy and gadget under the sun, you’re robbing them of the chance to get creative. They don’t need options; they need opportunities. Give them some everyday items they see you use, and they’ll have way more fun than they would with a $200 “interactive learning system.”
Four Tips for Embracing Simple Play in a Consumerist World
Declutter the Toy Pile: If your kid is overwhelmed by choices, they’re not going to play with anything. Rotate toys or donate the ones they’ve outgrown. Less really is more.
Say No to Trends: Just because every influencer is raving about some new “must-have” toy doesn’t mean it’s worth your money. Trust me, your kid won’t miss it.
Lean Into Nature: The outdoors is the best playroom there is. Collect leaves, make mud pies, or just let your kid run wild.
Get Involved: Your time and attention are the best gifts you can give. Play with them, laugh with them, and let them lead the way.
Priceless Moments are Made, Not Bought
At the end of the day, what your child wants most is you. Not your money, not your designer toys, just you. So ditch the guilt, ignore the ads, and let your kid experience the joy of simple play.
Because the best memories aren’t made with expensive toys or picture-perfect playrooms. They’re made in cardboard castles, in kitchens filled with laughter, and in moments of shared discovery. And those are priceless.
