Are your kids like mine and often enjoy the box more than what is inside? I think plain old cardboard boxes are great tools for children to use their imaginations and have fun.
I will never forget the time my mom turned a cardboard box into a switchboard. She poked holes in one side of a box and put people’s names and phone numbers underneath each hole. Then she tied yarn to some nails and attached them to the bottom. I would put a nail into a hole and then pretend to call someone. I may not remember all of the store bought toys I had as a child, but I do remember the fun I had with that box.
When my husband came home with a large box this past spring our children decided that they wanted to turn it into a house. As per their instructions we cut a large window and a door, and they immediately started playing in their new “house”. They played with that box all summer until it was about to fall apart.
Since the box was headed for the trash anyway I don’t think you can get a much more frugal “toy” than that. Yet, beyond that, my children were making memories that I am sure they will have for years to come.
Now, go find a box and see what creativity it sparks in your child.