Thirty-Five Things to Save for Play

“What are you doing?”

“I’m putting this away.”

“By why???”

Ok so my little stash of plastic scoops may be a little odd to some people, but to me it makes perfect sense. I’ve been saving the plastic scoops that come with the laundry powder for a long time because they are useful, they are useful for play.

It’s not just plastic scoops that I stash in the cupboard to use one day, I save all kinds of other recyclables to use for art, or play, or learning.

Doesn’t everyone??

If you are new to the idea saving things for play, or you’re wondering what to do with all the stuff you’ve already crammed into your art and craft cupboard, I’ve got you covered. Here’s my ultimate list of 35 things to save for play, and a whole heap of ideas for how to reuse or recycle these items for art, crafts, play and learning.

 

 

I’ve shared a couple of ideas for each item, with links to awesome some bloggers with great ideas and information. Of course there are lots more things you can do with all these items, use your imagination or simply give your collection over to your kids and see what they come up with!

Make sure all the recycled items you collect are clean and safe for play. Be especially aware of small parts that may come loose if you are using them with small children who put things in their mouth.

35 Things to Save for Play!

Bottle Caps – Make a colour matching game, or some letter and number caps. Make bottle cap stamps or a cool bottle cap mobile.

Cardboard Tubes – Make a sculpture, or use them for painting and printing. Make a marble run or make a kazoo.

Small Plastic Containers – save small containers for use as storage, for paint pots, to make a shaker or plant some seeds.

Large Plastic Containers – big containers with lids are great for storage, make a posting box for toddlers, or connect four together and use them for sensory or imaginative play.

Plastic and Cardboard Packaging – this often comes in weird and wonderful shapes, use it for imaginative play, for colourful water play or some printing art.

Large Plastic Lids – large plastic lids make great paint palettes, or make some sewing cards, or these funky sun catchers.

Old Markers – even the ones that seem totally dried out can be used to make ‘marker paint’, or you could use the caps to make a skipping rope, or as beads for threading.

Bubble Wrap – use it for printing and painting, or sensory play. Make bubble wrap hop scotch, or just stick it to the floor and jump!

Small and Medium Plastic Bottles – The kind you get from soft drink (soda) or bottled water. Make sensory bottles, or a fun water wall. You can even use them to make a windsock or jewelry.

Large Plastic Bottles – like milk jugs and detergent bottles. Make a simple scoop for sand or water, make a catching game, or save enough and make a cubby house/fort.

Styrofoam Trays – use them for paint (they are the perfect container if you are using a roller), for making prints, or for beginners sewing and embroidery.

Foam Pieces – Use a large flat piece as a base for imaginative play, use various shapes and sizes for construction and sculpture, or grate it up and make homemade floam.

Large Tins or Coffee Cans – Paint or cover them and cans make great storage. Or you could make some stilts or even paint with them

Greeting Cards – the fronts of old cards are great for collage and cutting practice. You can recycle them into gift tags or book marks, or make sewing cards out of them.

CDs and DVDs – These make a great addition to imaginative play or block play. They’re also great for craft – make a wind spinner or use CD cases to make stained glass art.

Corks – You can use these as game counters, or make a cute little cork creature, or some cork bunnies.

Cereal Boxes – cut the sides off and these make the perfect base for collage and lots of other craft projects. They are great for box construction, building and creating, make this cereal box parking garage or a cereal box paper organiser or a window easel.

Old Computers and Other Electronics – Keep your old keyboards for awesome dramatic play, you can also pop the individual keys off to use for loose parts or letter learning, but the best thing to do with old appliances is to have fun taking them apart!

Eye/Medicine Droppers – These are great for fine motor and art activities. Set up an eye dropper activity tray, do some dropper painting, or try this fine motor water drop activity.

Magazines and Junk Mail – They provide a never ending supply of images to cut and paste, or for crafting or try one of these junk mail ideas.

Newspaper – You’ll need lots of newspaper to cover your work surface before anything messy, but you can also paint on it for beautiful results, print with it, or build with it.

Egg Cartons – make a kinda freaky egg carton mask, use them for maths learning, or make a jewelry box!

Cardboard Boxes – collect them all, big and small! Use a big one to make a town, or a tunnel. Use a medium sized one for imaginative play, or to make a play kitchen. Use a smaller one to make a tugging box for toddlers or this cool marble maze for older kids.

Fabric Scraps – great for collage, and for imaginative play, or use them for weaving, or make these cute scrap fabric dolls.

Old Pots Pans and Kitchen Utensils – Use these in the sandpit, with play dough, with finger paint, for water play, or paint with them.

Buttons – use them for sorting, counting, or loose parts play, or make a button ring!

Icy-pole/Popsicle Sticks – Use them to make an amazing sculpture, or magnet sticks, or a ‘paintsicle’, or a ‘stixplosion’!

Straws – Use them for threading, make amazing constructions, or blow powered rockets.

Screws, Nuts, Bolts, and Fasteners – perfect for lots of fine motor fun, make magnetic robots, or print with them..

Plastic Bags – great for storage, or covering the work surface, but you can also use them to make a kite, a tutu for dressing up, or make a plastic bag collage.

Plastic Mesh and Mesh Bags – this makes an interesting collage material and leaves great imprints on play dough or clay, or use it to make these simple mesh paint dabbers, or for beginner sewing.

Wood Scraps and Off Cuts – Add wood scraps to play dough, or make glued wood sculptures, or find lots more ideas for creating and using wood here.

Jars – Awesome for storage of course, but you could also make a lantern, a nebular jar, a tornado in a jar, or even butter!]

Plastic Scoops and Spoons – Find them in laundry powder, or powdered drinks. They are great for water play, in the sand pit, for sensory play, especially with sand or seeds, and scooping and transferring activities.

Packing Peanuts – The type that are made from plant starch are great for creating and collage. They are great in a sensory tub or try one of these fun ideas.

 

 

What would you add to this list?
What do you stash away in the cupboard because you just know it will be fun or useful one day?
Or perhaps you have some great ideas for how to use some of these recycled items?

Leave me a comment below and let me know what great things you save for play.