Entertaining a Toddler on a Dime: Make Your Recycling Work For You

I love a bargain, but I love free stuff even more. And if the kids have a blast with the free stuff, it makes it all the more gratifying. Below, I've shared some fun things to do with your common recycling that will keep the kids entertained:

Cereal boxes and paper bags: When it comes time to paint, either with fingers or brushes, I open up the seam on an empty cereal box to flatten it out, tape it to the easel with the plain inside facing out, and let Junior have at it. Cereal boxes hold up to gobs and gobs of paint much better than your standard construction or art paper, and when they're done, you can just throw it in the recycling bin. Paper bags are great if you have sliding glass doors--cut the bags down the seam to open them up and tape them to the doors for a mural-style art session. (And if some paint gets on the glass, no big deal. It wipes right off the glass.)


Apple sauce or fruit cups:If you buy individual serving apples sauce or fruit cups, save the cups--they have

so many uses! I like to put paint in them, because they fit perfectly into the our easel.When we're done painting, I rinse them out and save them for the next time. They are also great for the tub, the kiddie pool, or the sandbox. You can even punch some holes in the bottom of a few for water play.

Water bottles: Remove the ring and the cap, and they are perfect for water play on their own, but if you punch a few holes in the cap and keep it on the bottle, your kiddos can help you water the plants in the garden without wasting too much water.

Orange juice bottles: If you buy plastic orange juice bottles (rather than cardboard), you can store homemade bubble solution. And mamas, FYI, a drop of KY Jelly will not only perk up your sex life, but it will make your bubble solution the best on the block.

Plastic spice jars or other small unbreakable items: My son loves to play cook, so whenever I use up a spice, I wash out the container and give it to him. He then proceeds to walk around seasoning everything in the house. He also has an empty plastic jug that once contained maple syrup, which is another favorite toy.

And if we expand our definition of "recycle" to include "repurpose," then this felt board counts, too. If I

can get away with never having chalk in the house, I will, so I used the chalkboard side of my son's easel to make a felt board. We had leftover scraps of self-stick white felt and a whole bunch of colorful pieces to make shapes out of. For the younger ones, it really helps with learning shapes and colors (Can you put the yellow circle on the board?), and depending on the age of your child, you can make puzzle pictures for them to put together (e.g., snowman, flowers, people, etc.). I got this idea from a stay-at-home-dad friend of mine who used a small sheet of plywood to the same effect.

Another recycling project is a toy kitchen that is still in the works. I was so proud of the oven/stove that I had made for my son, until I saw this one from PBSKids craft blog. Mine seemed so pathetic after that, so my husband and I are teaming up to make a kick-ass kitchen, as my son loves to pretend cook. I'll keep you posted on our progress.