Recycle for Fun!

I am always looking for ways to reuse items in my home and get my children involved in the act too. The following ideas are things that I have come up with or remember reading about. All of these ideas will help save the environment while adding a little fun to your child's day!

Recycled Easter Grass - This year for Easter, instead of using the traditional plastic Easter grass, I have been saving flyers from the mail in a multitude of different colors. Once I have a decent selection, I will shred the paper and use it to line the Easter baskets this year.
You can also take a variation of this idea which is great for winter months or rainy days: Fill a plastic swimming pool with shredded paper and bury items in the paper for an indoor treasure hunt. You can also put larger pieces of paper in the pool and give your toddler funky scissors to cut up the paper with. Great fun while encouraging growth of those fine motor skills!


Pretend Play Store - Whenever I go to the grocery store, my 3 1/2 year old son insists on bringing his own shopping cart so that he can "help". :) At home, he loves to pretend to cook with his little kitchen and is always looking for things to "buy" for his latest culinary masterpiece. So, instead of throwing out the empty food boxes, I tape the ends shut and stock his pretend market. We even price the items with small stickers so he can "buy" them too!

Spring is in Bloom - Trace a CD on a magazine page and on a piece of cardboard from a cereal box. Glue the magazine paper onto the cardboard, fold it several times as you would to make a paper snowflake. Cut out a petal shape, unfold, and stack with other petals. Use paper fasteners to join the stake to a rolled-magazine-paper stem. (You can also use old greeting cards for this too!)

Mark that Page - Take different colored ribbons and cut into 12 inch strips. Glue buttons on each end of the ribbon and now you a have a one-of-a-kind book mark that can be given as party favors or gifts.

Organize those Ponytail Holders - I use an old ice cube tray in my daughter's dresser drawer to sort and hold her ponytail holders.

If you have any ideas that you would like to share, please comment here!

Happy Crafting!