I'm sick of buying toys for DD that she has no interest in. I've had better luck recently with just letting her play with household stuff.
Recently she got her hands on one of those 16 oz water bottles with the really thin plastic and she looooooooooooves it. It kept her entertained for a really long time - chasing it across the room, crinkling it, chewing on it. I tried to "improve" it by adding some dried small pasta in it to make it a shaker but I'm not sure she likes the improvement.
I've also given her an empty tissue box (to put/pull toys in/out), measuring cups and a potato masher....she's okay with those but doesn't love them like the water bottle.
And, of course, there are the things *she* wants to play with but I work to keep away from her (remotes, cords, etc).
What "toys" do you let your LO play with that s/he loves?
Re: Favorite non-toy toys
11.2011 - DS1
02.2013 - loss at 6 wks
06.2014 - DS2
10.2015 - loss at 12 wks
03.2017 - DD
Paper (he likes to shredded it with his hands)
Boxes
This tunnel thing that crinkles when you touch it...technically it's a toy for the cats but the three share very well!
My flip flops
I've been saving empty containers from the fridge and pantry, wash them and then let him have them...keeps him entertained for hours.
Pillows...throw them on the floor and he climbs all over them.
I stopped buying toys because he would prefer all of these things instead of his own toys.
Tupperware, plastic measuring spoons and cups, a metal colander, paper
ETA: I almost forgot! She absolutely loves her wooden spoon I sacrificed. She drags it around everywhere.
She loves sitting no a pillow, not sure why but she loves it.
Water bottles like you said, keep her occupied forever, she gets mad if I'm drinkig from one and I don't give it to her.
A metal mixing bowl with wooden blocks in it. My cousin gave DD this at her house and she was fascinated by it.
A plastic cup, she likes pretending to drink.
BFP #2 March 2011, Baby Girl born November 2011!!!
Dog toys
Phone chargers (we obviously keep those away but he has ruined two already!)
He loves a wet washcloth! That's probably his favorite
Shoes (flip flops)
Kitchen utensils
Cabinet doors. He has such a fascination with opening and closing them. I put rubber bands around the knobs until I can install the locks but he figured that out!
Laundry basket! She loves sitting in it while I fold the laundry and likes me to push her around in it.
Also popular are magazines, measuring cups/spoons, and water bottles too. We have a portable Britta water bottle which she loved. I just found a mini one and it's a huge hit. Pull that sucker out and the crying stops.
Lol, I am always saying that it's useless to buy toys. It's like, if she knows it was meant to play with, she doesn't want to play with it!
--My mom's dog (poor guy, he's an old chihuahua...)
--Water bottles
--Her brushes and combs
--Remote controls for the TV, she was trying to snatch them up so much that I took the batteries out of the DVD remote that we don't use, cleaned it up and let her play with it.
Shoes.
Laundry Basket.
Headbands, combs.
my read shelf:
DS is fascinated by DH's wallet. It's kinda funny because my DH will make the comment to him "there goes more money!"
The remotes. I give in once in a while. Climbing over pillows. he loves when I sit him in his rocking chair and rock him. playing with clothes in the laundry basket.
I could go on....
remotes without batteries.
cell phones are my desperation go-to things if I'm in the middle of something or in a store and he's melting down