Salad spinner as dolly thrill ride

Kim's hack will bring out the mad scientist in your kid:

Got one of those big salad spinners with a clear bowl and an easy-to-use spinning mechanism? Show your little tike how to put one of his favorite dolls in there and spin it around. This impromptu activity produced about a half hour of non-stop laughter with my two year-old, as he spun his stuffed animal and some play people round and round, peering at them through the bowl.

I can vouch for this hack myself. My kids have spent hours spinning various things in the salad spinner, including marbles, plastic animals, and dolls. I love my OXO salad spinner -- it operates using a pump in the lid, and has a squishy rubber "brake" that is just as fun for the kids to use. The large, plastic bowl makes a great Barbie swimming pool, too.

Related: Kid-friendly kitchens help even the youngest pitch in

Comments

[Claire]

Put a little soap and water in the salad spinner and let your little one go to town - bit messy but my almost 4 year old things this is hilarious.

[Liz]

At my son's pre-school they usean old one for spin art. Cut a piece of paper into a circle that fits in the bottom of the spinner, tape it down, drop a few drops of paint on it, and spin away.

Of course, these aren't spinners that will be used for food again!

[Tracey]

Hopefully they haven't moved on that really big salad spinner- the dryer! Fun idea and creative use for well loved kitchen gadget!

[Dana]

Also fun...a little bit of water and a couple of drops of dishsoap...it makes tons of bubbles and foam.

[Julie]

My son likes the spinner alone. Since about a year old he has been fascinated by making it spin and watching it, or just pushing the buttons for that matter.

[Grace]

I am a nanny for two little girls, and this summer we took a bucket full of ice outside and played with them in various sized cups. One day I found the salad spinner in the cabinets and they had a BLAST making the ice melt, and dumping it out after each spin.