Cards – Cut the fronts off old greeting cards and glue them to construction paper to make new cards.
Rubbings – Make crayon rubbings with cards that have a relief.
Sewing cards – Hole punch the edges to make sewing cards.
PAPER TOWEL ROLLS
Kazoo – Cut in half. Punch a hole in one end. Cover the other end with wax paper held in place with a rubber band. Hold by your mouth and hum a tune.
Party favor – Insert candy and little toys inside a roll. Wrap in tissue paper and tie with ribbon at the ends.
Microphone – Cover with aluminum foil. Wad up black tissue paper and glue in one end. Add a sticker so you can adjust the volume.
Windsock – Glue strips of tissue paper to one end. Punch holes in the other end and tie on string.
Binoculars – Cut a paper towel roll in half. Tape the two halves together. Punch holes in the end and tie on string so you can wear around your neck. Decorate with markers.
Rhythm sticks – Let children decorate two paper towel rolls with markers. Tap together or beat gently on a table to make noise.
Take home tote – Children can roll up paintings and other projects and insert them in paper towel rolls to carry home safely.
People puppets – Cut rolls in half. Glue on photos or children or people from catalogs to make puppets.
ALTOIDS/MINT TIN
Crayon holder – Store crayons in tins.
Lifetime words – Store high frequency words in tins.
Word play – Place magnetic letters in a tin and use for making words on the lid.
PANTS HANGER
Magic wand – Cover a cardboard roller from a pants hanger with foil. Dip one end in glue and roll in glitter to make a magic wand.
Pointer – Glue small toys or seasonal objects to the end of cardboard rollers to make pointers.
NEWSPAPERS
Extra! Extra! – Children choose a picture and write a new caption and story to go with it.
Highlighters – Children use highlighters to find letters, words, parts of speech, punctuation, etc. Relate skills you are working on.
Book covers – Use funny pages or other parts of the newspaper to make covers for books.
Pony – Roll up 3 sheets of newspaper and tape to make the stick for your pony. Draw a horse’s head on a lunch sack and stuff with paper. Tape the head to your stick and ride away!
WRAPPING PAPER
Collages – Cut up old wrapping paper to make collages.
Pencil holder – Glue wrapping paper to cans to make a pencil holder.
Necklace – Cut ½” triangles from wrapping paper and roll around a
pencil. Glue ends. String on yarn to make a necklace.
WIN! WIN!
You’ll save money with these ideas, and you’ll help the environment.
