I’ll bet you always wondered what the best toys are?  I have the answer, and they only cost a few dollars.  

They are simply pots, pans, buckets, and spoons.  

We have had these toys since the kids were babies, and they continue to be a huge success, year after year, for children of all ages wherever we bring them.  We have taken them with us to beaches, parks, playgrounds, sandboxes, lakes, and, wherever they go, it is inevitable that we are soon surrounded by a group of children.  

Mostly what these toys have done is sit outside our house, ready to be used when neighborhood children come around looking for something to do.  I am happy to let them use these toys, along with dirt, water, leaves and rocks, and I love watching bored kids turn into happy, creative, imaginative kids who play constructively for hours with these simple materials.

Recently I decided to turn a couple of extra wooden boards into a stove for the kids to play with.  Matt built it and Ashton and I painted it, and now we have another fun thing the children can work with.