Don't throw them out, let us help you find a use for it!! If you have something you just don't want to throw away, recycle it. Email me with your request or your idea to help someone else out!!
****Similac powder cans (large size with covers)
1) Have the kids glue paper around them, decorate it and use them as drums.
2) Plant some kind or flower or veggie in them for a gift or a science project.
3) Set them up outdoors on a fence or other object. Let the kids take turns throwing tennis balls at them to see who can knock the most down!!
4) Use them as building blocks.
5) Each child can have their own set up on a shelf used to store extra clothes, crayons, tissues, or other personal items.
****Plastic milk caps from milk and juice
1) all different colors make great markers for board games.
2) ahead of time use a hot nail to melt a hole in each. The kids can then use shoestrings to make necklaces. Store all of them in a container for them to use over and over again.
3) Glue a small picture of the child onto it. Glue lace around it and it can become of fridge magnet or a tree ornament.
4) Use them for sorting, counting and color recognition practice. Fun!!!
****paper towel, toilet paper or wrapping paper tubes
1) from Misty
Make children's coloring page stand up by taping a tube to the back. This was great with a turkey picture the kids colored and cut out.
2) From Misty Fold down one end and staple closed. Fill tube with a few beans, coins, or any small object- not many though, so there is plenty of room for objects to move. Now, fold over the open end and staple. They become musical shakers! We decorated our tubes with paint and glitter early in the day so the tubes were dry when we went on to the 'filling and stapling' stage. Fun!
3) From Misty We printed Cookie Monster & Curious George patterns from the DLKY web page and made 3D characters with our tubes. The kids LOVED these.
4) From Misty
We cut them in half and tape together to make Matchbox car ramps.
5) From Misty
For our daycare birthday parties and celebrations- fill tubes with candy or age appropriate gifts. Wrap fabric around the tube and tie closed at the ends with shiny ribbon to make favors.
6) From Misty Cut tube from bottom into three 'rings'. Use them for egg stands to decorate Easter eggs and display.
7) From Misty Cut a tube in half length wise to make a Barbie doll size baby cradle or a Ken doll Barbeque pit!
8) From Irene
Make a beautiful toll for Christmas tree decoration.Cut the rolls two inches tall. Cover one end by pasting see-thru fabric, fill in roll with potpourri then continue to cover up the other end with see-thru fabric.
Choose a nice strong ribbon to paste on one end in order to hang the toll on the tree. Next you will paste some colorful Christmas motive fabric on the rolls. Decorate the borders with ribbon or strings; flowers and beads can also be used to finish the decoration.
Everyone will love them.
****baby food jars
1)taller ones make pretty good pencil holders - decorate them with glue and tissue paper
2)tape pieces of masking tape all over it to cover completely, then wipe brown shoe polish all over it with a rag. Let dry and it will have a leathery look to it.
3)glue a large yellow pom-pom on the cover to make a chick's head, fill the jar with yellow jelly beans to make the chick's body; add a yellow feather on the back for it's tail, and either paper or feather wings on the side. Glue paper feet to the bottom of the jar and glue on eyes and a paper orange beak and you'd have a cute easter gift.( this idea can be used with other animals too - Use your imagination!!
4)storage - marbles, Qtips, pens, paperclips, nuts, bolts, etc. If you have a junk drawer (who doesn't?? LOL) maybe the jars will fit in the drawer and help keep things organized
5) A guy in our home town had me save them once for him. He used the jars to store his homemade horseradish sauce and jellies.
6) Kids can sort money in the jars.
7) idea from Jayne
I buy paints in large gallon size, so when the preschool kids are ready to paint I pour a little into baby food jars. Then when the school kids come home, I let them use the leftover paint that's in the jars or I just put the covers back on and save it for next time.
8) idea from a daycare email list
The kids made bath beads for a gift for Mom at Mother's Day. We poured the beads into babyfood jars, added a ribbon and it made a wonderful gift.
****empty 35mm film canisters
1) glue a green pompon on the top of a black canister and then glue the lid on top of that to make Oscar the Grouch!! Add wiggle eyes and a frown to complete it. Add a string to the lid prior to gluing it on and then it can be used as a tree ornament.
2) Perfect for storing quarters. My kids save their quarters in it and when it's full they get to go shopping!!
****empty check blank boxes
1) playhouse doll beds
2) put one or more in an office or junk drawer to keep things separated. Paper clips in one, paper fasteners in another, stamps in one, etc....
****20 oz bottles 1) Idea from Sjc angels@aol.com
My friend came up with this one(not sure if he saw it or if it's his own idea.)
Use a water bottle with the drinking top,that opens and closes, to put paint
in. It works great! We started using this insead of throwing out small amounts
of paint. It really works well.
