Entertaining grandchildren

Not wasted. The paddling pool and toys led to them using their imaginations. Anything that stimulates a child's imagination is money well spent imo.

Lol I’m the same mine live few hundred miles away and I always go over the top on stuff but I will do cake decorating cakes baked before they arrive or make homemade play dough or buy an odd roll of wallpaper and give them some paint and brush’s when they at my house and I also do hunting things along with expensive stuff and find the simple stuff go get better

When my gc were small I filled some plastic containers with water, added small play figures then put into the freezer . I tipped the frozen lumps onto a big tray and gave each child a wooden spoon to bash the ice and release the figures. Kept them happy for ages.

I remember buying a sandpit for my dd when she was about three. After approximately ten minutes she spotted an ant in the sand and amidst much shrieking and hysterics she ran for the hills and refused ever to play with it again.

Cost per hour, that must have been one of the most expensive toys we ever bought her.

Children are very good at making up their own games. My GS loves a small microwave saucepan, a wooden spoon and a couple of kitchen gadgets such as pastry cutters. He plays with them for ages!

Found washing up liquid plus few drops of food colour,different containers, big platic storage conainer,keeps amused for agesLid can go on to stop the bugs getting in while they eating or sleeping.

Children can always find a way of using things that you would never have expected. Glad they had such a lovely time painting.