Repurposing with Your Youngsters

Recycling has become known as “repurposing” to many people.  Finding another purpose for items you might otherwise throw out. 

This can become a game with your youngsters.  How can they use items around the house and from daily living in other ways once these are empty or no longer good for the original purpose?

Youngsters might see how many uses they can discover for a single item, such as a margarine container, whipped topping container, peanut butter jar, plastic grocery bags, greeting cards, boxes and more.  This is a great way to get them to use their imagination and creativity, as well as utilizing the old instead of buying new.

I recall, when I was a child, making play things from old “stuff” around the house.  Money wasn’t readily available for many toys, so we had to make our own.  My grandchildren, particularly my grandson, enjoy taking boxes, containers, pieces of scrap wood and creating items to play with.  We call them “the great inventors,” and it’s exciting to see how Kara and Alex can “repurpose”  items.  I hope this creativity and resourcefulness continues throughout their lives.