Lucky for us, we live just a couple minutes away from a Dollar Tree. Pre-Sloan, I would frequent such stores for specific products, but these days we visit our neighborhood Dollar Tree on a more regular basis. Why? It is a great place to entertain a toddler…both in-store and out.

On days when it is chilly and I want her to expel some energy at a place other than the trampoline park or indoor playground, I might take her to the Dollar Tree. I will let her loose in the store with a $3 budget and let her shop! While she picks out her lollipop, knockoff barbie doll, and unicorn poop, I pick out some items on my own that I know will translate into a few minutes of entertainment at home.

In tonight’s blog post, I want to share five items that I have recently purchased at the Dollar Tree that have helped Sloan have a good time at the house during these “cold” Myrtle Beach days.

A look at our neighborhood Dollar Tree.

Silly String – I introduced Sloan to silly string just this weekend. Things got off to a rough start! Sloan started to cry when Sidney sprayed me with it. However, we told her there was nothing to be sad about and she calmed down. We put out an intimate object for target practice and Sloan loved it.

Sloan was introduced to silly string this weekend.

Bath Fun – We really never have a problem getting Sloan to take baths but we have found a way to motivate her to quickly hit the tub instead of stalling. The Dollar Tree offers bath toys, bath bombs, and bubbly soaps. She gets a kick out of throwing a bath bomb in the water and watching it transform into a colorful, aromatic experience.

We get Sloan bath bombs to add another element to tub time.

Kinder Eggs – I didn’t know much about Kinder Eggs until I let Sloan try one but I am now very aware! A Kinder Egg has two halves––one with sweet cream and wafer bits and one with a toy. It is an extremely tough call but I would say Sloan likes the candy more than the toy because she does her eating first, usually licking the egg completely clean. We then assemble the basic toy, which usually comes in a few parts, together. You can buy a Kinder Egg anywhere, but they usually cost a little more than a dollar. So, I guess it goes without saying why we purchase them at the Dollar Tree.

Sloan is obsessed with Kinder Eggs.

Fun Based Off YouTube – Sloan enjoys a YouTube sensation named Ryan. In one of his older videos he participates in a classic “Minute to Win It” challenge with family members. Two teams race to pull out all the contents of two full Kleenex boxes one tissue at a time until both are empty. At the end, they throw the tissues in the air to simulate a snowstorm. Because Sloan has seen this video so many times she was overjoyed when we recreated it for ourselves. Thanks to $1 148-count tissue boxes at Dollar Tree we had more than a snowstorm––we had a blizzard!

I re-created one of Sloan’s favorite scenes from the Ryan YouTube series.

Toothpaste – I think Sloan is the only toddler who finds brushing her teeth fun and the only one who will do it for five minutes at a time. At the Dollar Tree, a wide selection of toothpastes with princesses and Mickey Mouse are available. Letting her choose one of these fun pastes goes even further to promote her commitment to good oral health.

Sloan loves to brush her teeth and has fun choosing her toothpaste at Dollar Tree.

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These five ideas combined will give you at least two hours of fun with your toddler. For $5, that is pretty good! Well, technically it is $6 because you will have to buy two Kleenex boxes…but you get the idea! Creativity awaits at the Dollar Tree. Don’t Blink.