Playtime on a Budget: Affordable NDIS Toy Options for Every Family

When your child has special and different needs, it can get challenging to see how different the prices are for products and services suited for your child than for others. More often than not, it requires a lot of financial sacrifice that tightens the entire family’s wallet.

Here at the OT store, we understand that frustration and have always worked towards making resources that are affordable and accessible -- perfect for helping your children develop motor, sensory, social and intellectual skills. Beyond our range, there are also a lot of everyday household items you can use during play with children.

OT Budget Friendly Resources for You!

Without having to use NDIS-approved toys, you can still help in your child’s development and growth by using some of the most common household resources in your own home!

Here are a few resources that can easily be used for imaginative play:

Kitchen Equipment

Get creative with your resources! You can use kitchen equipment including plastic cups, bowls, whisks, measuring cups, pegs, or tongs. Children often find using this equipment as being novel. You can have endless fun measuring, transferring objects, creating towers, pouring, having pretend tea parties and more. 

Pillows / blankets / beanbags

Make learning fun by using resources that they’re already familiar with and integrate them with new experiences. Create forts, obstacle courses, have pillow fights, or wrap in a blanket to make children “burritos”.  

Sticks / leaves / dirt

Get out in nature and introduce your children to the outdoors. 

Create a mud kitchen, collect different leaves and rub crayons over them to create patterns, create stick forts or a pretend campfire, build a house for insects, line sticks up and jump over them, and paint with mud.

Furniture

Get creative and use your household furniture to make playtime fun inside your house.

You can use common furniture like chairs, tables, stools, coffee tables or lounges. Create obstacle courses, forts, and climbing frames, or use them as hiding spots for a game of hide and seek. 

Recycling

Recycle and use for play!

Use empty boxes, egg cartons, milk bottles or container bottles make great bases for craft and construction. 

Sensory Base

Enhance their senses with resources you can easily find at home!

Rice, cornflour, lentils, sand, blitzed wheebix, shredded coconut ice cubes and more are all great sensory bases for play, and are readily available in most pantries. 

The Importance of Toys and Playing with Your Child 

Playing with your child is not just about having fun; it's a crucial aspect of their development and well-being. Engaging in playtime activities fosters growth in their motor-sensory skills and teaches them how to interact with you and your family! 

Play stimulates creativity, problem-solving abilities, and cognitive development, allowing children to explore and learn in a safe and enjoyable environment. By actively participating in play with your child, you not only create cherished memories but also support their holistic growth and learning journey.

Having said all this,  we recommend incorporating a few resources with outdoor recreation and physical activity. These resources significantly help the child develop not only the needed motor skills but also the proper insights and reactions to social cues, helping them communicate and learn to play with those around them!

For additional resources to support play, please visit The OT Storewebsite.