aka: What’s Actually in My Craft Closet (and All Over My Floor)

Let’s be real: there are a lot of beautiful, trendy, good-in-theory toddler toys out there — and a lot of them end up untouched while your kid plays with a cardboard box and an old spoon.

So here’s the good stuff. The stuff I actually reach for. The stuff my toddler has scooped, dumped, painted , stuck, dug, buried… and asked for again and again.

Whether you're new to DIY play or just trying to keep your toddler from climbing the fridge, these are the supplies that make our days more playful, more skill-building, and a whole lot more.make-it-to-bedtime-able.

If I Had to Pick 5… Ok… 6.

If you’re starting from scratch (or running out of space in your overflowing craft drawer), start with these six MVPs:

• Non-toxic washable tempera paint – All day. Erryday.

• Pom Poms – Colorful, versatile, and the #1 thing I’m always stepping on. (Worried your kid will try to eat these? Try these ones.)

• Colorful Masking Tape – We use this daily. Roads, rainbows, obstacle courses — it’s magic.

• Construction Paper – Not fancy. Just necessary.

• Dot Stickers – So many stickibilities. Trust.

• Popsicle Sticks – Stir it, glue it, build it, sort it. You need ‘em.

The Rest of the Good Stuff

These are the things I’ve used again and again (and again), and they’ve earned their spot in the Bloom Play Lab rotation:

• Colorful Bugs – For color matching games, counting, sensory bins, water play and more.

• Fine motor tool set – Squeeze, tweeze, grab, drop - tools that make tiny hands work.

• Non-toxic washable tempera paint – Duh.

• Plant-based food coloring – Safer for sensory play, and still totally vibrant.

• 6-cup muffin pan – For sorting, scooping, freezing, painting… and so you don’t have to use the one you cook with.

• Pom pom puff balls – See above. Literal magic.

• Clothes Pins – Color matching, pinching, picking up, and restaurant distractions

• Tiny zoo animals – Always a hit, usually invisible on my rug.

• Small toy cars – Tape roads, parking lots, freeze, hide, count.

• Balloons – Because “Keep It Up” still slaps. And frozen dino eggs.

• Dot markers – You’re not a regular marker, you’re a dot marker. And you need

• Colorful masking tape – Can’t live without it. Had to list it twice.

• Popsicle sticks – Again. Just trust me.

• Construction paper – It’s giving: unlimited potential. Endless opportunities. And it’s cheap.

• Contact paper – Sticky wall setups, sensory art, lamination, you name it.

• Glue sticks & regular school glue – They’ll use it. You’ll use it. I get the purple kind so they can see where they put it.

• Washable markers – Emphasis on washable.

• Sharpie markers – “Stinky markers are for Mama only” is our rule.

• Triangle crayons – Won’t snap. Won’t roll off the table = Last longer with less mess. (TBH the actual pigment isn’t great.)

• Magna-Tiles – Worth the hype. End of story.

• Dot stickers – Yes, again. Because you’ll run out.

• Small (but real) hammer – Supervised smashing is a win every time. (Plastic ones don’t work on nails or break ice… )

• Eye droppers – Drip, drop, color-mix fun. Plus, science.

• Plastic bins – For sensory play or adding a touch of organization to what is otherwise chaos.

• Funnels – Toddlers love them. Trust me.

• Scissors (plastic toddler or bigger kid) – Spoiler the plastic ones really don’t cut well, but it preps them for the bigguns.

• Pipe cleaners – Bendable, twistable, cuttable, wearable, reusable… magic little wigglies.

• Empty spray bottles – Water play, cleaning, fine motor joy.

• Multiple theme animal sets – Makes themed projects easy and always a hit with kids. (Insect, Dino, Zoo, Dog, Sea, Farm)

Semi-Pro Tip:

Start small. Add as you go. Most of this stuff is inexpensive, reusable, and way more versatile than the toys collecting dust under your couch. (And BONUS — these are all linked so you don’t have to dig around Amazon at 11pm.)

Ok, but HOW do you actually use this stuff?

I am working on a one-stop-shop guide using these specific supplies + junk you already have at your house…

In the meantime, follow me on Instagram @bloomplaylab — I share low-prep, skill-building toddler activities (using all of these items) that actually fit into mom life. No perfection, just playful learning that works with these things and what you’ve got.