Use what you've got!

Mrs. Jan is our queen of recyclables. If I have an empty box, I know that Mrs. Jan will be the first to say "I want it!" She will turn that box into a bear cave, a car, a blank slate for kids to color on, or any number of other things. Today I popped in and saw her making fantastic use of empty coffee containers, bottle lids, and empty creamer bottles. The kids think all of these materials are fantastic and they have a blast with them. One little boy was stacking the coffee containers as high as he could reach, while a group of other children were using ladles to scoop "lid soup" from a bucket. So before you run out to spend your hard-earned money on flashy new toys (that may quickly break), take a minute to see if your children can tap into their imagination and have just as much, or even more fun with free recyclables you have around the house!