Play then Recycle - 10 Recycled Items to use in Play
Imagine being able to change an ordinary object into anything you want. Imagine never being short of things to make all your ideas work. Imagine never being hindered by not having enough to use. Imagine if a simple solution was the most effective way to make your dreams come true.
Sounds great? Of course it does! And that’s exactly what can happen for your child in play if you do one simple thing. We are huge advocates for recycled items being used in play. We have been in awe of children’s thinking when they use these items to make their play come together. Sure it requires imagination! Children have an abundance of that and we need to remember the awesomeness of their imaginations.
Watch our video to see some of our top recycled items for play. Click the image to view the video in Youtube.
There are endless possibilities for using recycled items. If they are accessible to your child, you will notice them being added to your child’s play to improvise for something that might not be in the toy box. It requires creative thinking to imagine that an item turns into something else. It’s also satisfying to problem solve by adding a recycled item so play can continue. It's like having a magic wand but instead, it's your imagination that makes the magic happen. It’s simply exciting!
When recycled items are used in play, we are showing our children that it’s okay to not have every available toy at one’s fingertips to make play work. Instead, children develop an understanding that improvisation is acceptable. Not everything needs to be bought and recycled items can be used instead. There is the monetary value too! Buying every toy your child desires is costly whereas recycled items cost nothing. Another great plus is that if recycled items are lost or broken during play, it’s not a big deal. One final thought is about our precious environment. We are doing our bit by using what has already been made and when we are done with it, then it’s time to recycle.
Here are our top ten recycled items to use in play:
Yoghurt pots
These are great for building towers and structures if you have a collection of them. You can use the bigger size containers or the single serve smaller pots for this. Children can build and bowl their tower with a ball if they want to make it into a game. Yoghurt pots can also be used in a mud kitchen for mixing and pouring.
Bottle lids
Bottle lids are really great for money at a play shop. So much spending to be done with bottle lid money. Bottle lids can also be fish in water. Better get out the net to scoop them up and then put them in a pan and fry them to make a delicious dinner!
Cardboard
Cardboard is one of the recycled items we use the most. You can make just about anything with cardboard! Some of our favourite ideas are cardboard building tiles, fashion design cut outs, cardboard shapes and a cardboard superhero headquarters. If children don’t have something they want for their playtime, it can usually be easily substituted for cardboard - from swords to fairy wings!
Egg boxes
The little compartments inside an egg box make it appealing for children to store their little collections. Turn an egg box into a treasure box and your child will have somewhere to put their favourite rock collection or collected petals. Children may also enjoy packing their smaller toys into an egg box to transport their toy collection.
Bottles
Plastic bottles are great for making potions. A little bit of this and a little bit of that with some water is a perfect fairy potion. Bottles added to water play get those pouring skills into action. Play bowling with bottles and a ball or kick a ball around as the crowds cheer!
Cardboard tubes
Cardboard tubes are another item we never throw out! These make great telescopes and binoculars. They are also really good for building with and stacking to make tall towers. Children will enjoy filling the tubes up with loose parts and then lifting the tube to have the contents spill out the bottom!
Shoe boxes
Save a collection of shoe boxes and play the matching lid game where children have to place the lids on the correct shoe box! Then they can stack the shoe boxes and bowl them over. Shoe boxes make great pirate treasure boxes and houses for small toys. Children will easily come up with their own suggestions for these fabulous play items.
Wrapping paper
Save birthday or Christmas wrapping paper pieces for children to reuse. They will love wrapping toys as presents and replaying birthday or Christmas celebrations. The tape can easily be removed, the paper folded and any big pieces intact can be used again!
Paper bags
Children who love packing will enjoy using shopping bags to create their own shop. They can pack items into the paper bags when they are playing shops. Paper bags can also be used as handbags or even made into hats. Often the paper is durable enough to use for craft projects or making paper planes.
Grocery boxes
Grocery boxes are great additions for a shop but they can also be used for furniture in a house. They are also great for transporting in a truck from one place to the next. The right shaped and sized boxes glued together make fabulous robots or cars to play with. Collect a few small boxes and have them available for children to get creative with.
Our message to the world is to use items for the purpose that they were bought for. Then use them in play if it’s appropriate and safe to do so. And then recycle them. Spread the word!
