Earth Day is almost here! Every year we are reminded of the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. They are all equally important to do on a daily basis. Today, we’re going to put a family friendly twist on Earth Day and explore how we can reuse some common kid items.
Glass Baby Food Jars—> Mini Flower Vases
What do you do with all those empty glass baby food jars? Hopefully you recycle them but if you’re looking for something fun to do with them, try reusing them as mini flower vases. After they’re cleaned out, dip them in paint to add some color and design. When the paint dries, add some water and flowers and tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar. If you’re looking to do a little more, then try attaching the jars to a piece of wood and mounting for a beautiful flower display! Make Life Lovely shares the details here: https://craft-o-maniac.com/2013/02/diy-baby-food-jar-vase-candle-holder.html
Mason Jar Lids —> Sun Catchers
Do you have any mason jars around? If so, you can use the lids to create a sun catcher. First, collect some materials from nature like fallen leaves or petals. You can even direct your children to specific items by making the collection time a scavenger hunt. Next,
trace the circle of the mason jar lid on contact paper. Then, stick the nature on the sticky contact paper, cut the circle out and seal with another circle. Glue it into the lid and hang the sun catcher in a window!
Animal Toys—> Decorative Wall Hooks
Are your kids over playing with their animal figurine toys? Why not turn them into wall hooks? You just need to paint, cut them and mount. Now they’re repurposed and you have an additional place to hang things up – a win, win for all.
Recyclables —> STEM Projects
Another option is to start saving recyclable items around your home to use for STEM opportunities. Take paper towel rolls and turn them into tunnels, mazes and marble runs. Turn water bottles into sensory bottles, tornadoes or rockets. There are lots of choices here so give your child a challenge and see what comes of it!
We hope these ideas will work for your family. More importantly, we hope you continue to reduce, reuse and recycle year round! Do you have any Earth Day ideas of your own? Let us know in the comments!
Wishing you well,
Sarah