You don’t have to spend a bunch of money at the craft store to encourage creative play for your little ones. Everyday items — even ones that would typically wind up in the recycling bin or trash can — can be upcycled into eco-friendly art supplies. Here are a few ways to turn everyday trash into playtime treasures:
Cool collages
For a quirky, eclectic project both big and little kids can enjoy, try making a collage out of old magazines, junk mail, or advertisements. In addition to a stack of printed material you’re ready to toss, you’ll need some safety scissors, glue, construction paper, or cardstock. Have your kids pick a theme for their collage, then turn them loose with the scissors. Younger children may gravitate toward something simple, like kittens or barnyard animals, while older kids could have fun crafting a page of fashion inspiration ideas or their favorite pop stars. Whatever they choose, as they flip through the pages, they’ll entertain themselves with a seek-and-find activity. And once they’re done snipping out design elements, they’ll have fun pasting them onto a page. Slap on decorative stickers for some extra pizzazz.
Crumble up crayons
If your kids have a pile of broken crayons languishing forgotten in a drawer, you’ve got an easy rainy-day activity on your hands. While it requires adult supervision, your little ones can have a blast turning them into new, colorful crayons. To make this project, you’ll need scrap crayons, an oven, and an oven-safe silicone mold. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. While you’re waiting, have your youngsters unwrap the crayons and break them into smaller pieces. Get creative when choosing colors to add into the mold — they’ll melt together and create a tie-dye effect. Fill the molds shallowly and bake them for 8-10 minutes. Once they’re melted, put them in the freezer until they’re firm. After you pop them out of the mold, your kids can enjoy their new multicolor crayons.
Get creative with bottles, jugs, and cans
Instead of simply tossing that empty shampoo bottle, peanut butter jar, or can of soup, have your kids flex their creative muscles and repurpose it as a new plaything or decoration. Little ones can spend an afternoon designing new labels for these containers, or they can simply paint them with their favorite colors. With a little imagination, those empty bottles can become an array of potions for a witch or wizard, a mad scientist’s laboratory equipment, a selection of make-believe groceries with customized silly brands that your kids can invent, even a drum or shaker to play music.
Leave an impression
Do your kids enjoy sculpting or finger painting? Take a look at some of the items at your disposal. Bottle caps and the bottoms of beverage bottles can function as stamps. For instance, the bottom of a two-liter bottle looks just like a flower with five petals. You can sink them into clay or Play-Doh to make interesting textures, or dunk them in paint and decorate a page.
Looking for more ideas? Check out parenting, crafting, and early childhood education blogs for eco-friendly (and budget-savvy) artistic recycling ideas.