5 kiddie things I always buy at the dollar store

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posted in Products & Prizes

The first time we traveled by plane with kids my son was 9 months old. I was nervous and packed a million foil-wrapped little toys from the dollar store to keep my son entertained. It worked and the flight was uneventful.

Ever since that first adult visit to my local dollar store I’ve been hooked. I’ve found that the dollar stores with the best kiddie goods tend to be in unexpected places, like in our subway station or next to our local car wash. Those dollar stores have the good stuff that my kids go gaga over.

Every time I visit my favorite dollar store I buy the same 5 things and you should too:

1. Stickers & craft supplies

Why is it that the stickers at my crafts store cost $5 for 10 stickers but the awesome licensed character sticker packs at my dollar store go $1 for 30? If you time it right and catch them unloading a shipment you can even find lovely puffy stickers, which are easy for smaller hands to peel.

2. Mesh laundry bags

Think these are for, well, laundry? Think again. I use these to sort and store all types of toys, from puzzles to blocks to doll accessories. They are $1 for a pack of 1-3 depending on the brand, and mine have held up for years. Use them to store your sorted toys or anything really.

3. Party decorations

My local store seems to have the best balloons in walking distance, whether it be for a graduation party or my child’s birthday. We grab lots of stuff from paper plates to streamers to balloons.

4. Mini tape dispensers

Do these require their own mention on this list? If you have a toddler or preschooler you know that yes, yes they do. My kids love playing with tape and can play with a roll of tape for an hour easily. I stick these mini tape dispensers in my bag for when they get ants in their pants at restaurants or in waiting rooms. They are great for our long car rides too. They have all types of characters from Frozen (my daughter’s favorite) to Spiderman (my son’s favorite).

5. Glow in the dark toys

I keep a bag hidden away in our craft bin of glow in the dark toys. After a few days of rain or a long stretch of being stuck at home I break out some glow in the dark toys to the enjoyment of the whole family. Our favorite way to play with them is to shut the lights off in the bathroom and illuminate the tub with several glow in the dark necklaces or bracelets.