by Maggie Mae

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2008

We have one Earth. My ideas are for reusing household items with your children in activities that they will enjoy.

Water or Soda Bottles

1. My son loves bowling. He began using my old water bottles to make a bowling game. He lines up ten water bottles into a triangle and uses a soft ball. This is less expensive than going bowling, it is something that others can join in and do, and it reuses water bottles.

2. Fill up a water bottle two-thirds of the way full then place it in your freezer. You now have a way of keeping your sandwiches cold for your outing. Then you could always have the water to drink if you run out of your drink when your hiking.

3. Use old water bottles to mix up food for plants. Have your children decorate the bottle with picture of plants or leaves so that they know it is only for "watering" the garden. Let them plant a tree or other green plants to help the Earth then use their recycled watering can to help them grow.

4. Sand art is another thing to do with water bottles. Take off the labels and use the water bottle to put different colors of sand in various layers to make a sand art bottle.

5. Depending on the size of your water bottle, you can cut off the top third of the water bottle to make a holder for pencils, pens, scissors, crayons, colored pencils or markers. Then children can decorate the holder. Cut off two-thirds of the water bottle to store paper clips, coins, magnets, erasers, stickers, push pins, buttons, needles (put a little piece of foam covered with material for a nice pin cushion), and other small items.

6. Children always like to pick flowers for the people they love. Why not let them decorate an old water bottle for a vase to use.

7. Fill empty water bottles with beans to make maracas.

8. Store marbles in it for games.

Milk Containers

Milk comes in various types and sizes of containers. There are plastic and cardboard. The sizes range from pint to gallon. PLEASE Rinse out the container with hot soapy water first.

1. For cardboard open them up completely and cut off the top of the quart-sized so that it is half as tall as it is originally. For the plastic cut off the top part to get the desired size. Get soil and plant seeds in them. Make an herb garden for on your windowsill. Children can decorate the container and help you plant the seeds. You could plant flowers to give to someone on special days.

2. These can also be holders for pens, pencils etc.

3. Watering can for the garden. This is especially true for the plastic gallon

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