Maybe you can't afford to purchase your kid a set of play food? Or perhaps you don't like the play food options currently on the toy market.
Here’s a simple solution: reduce waste and save money by repurposing recyclables into dramatic play toys!
First things first, put yourself in a kid's shoes by asking yourself, what would make this package look or feel realistic from a child’s perspective? Creativity is key here. There are countless ways to repurpose recyclables. Stuck? Here are some ideas to get your wheels turning.
Oreo Thin Bites
Step 1: Eat a pack of Oreo Thin Bites.
Step 2: Rinse and dry out package.
Step 3: Fill package with small lids. I used contact case lids because I've accumulated so many and they’re difficult to recycle. Step 4: Zip seal the package back up and apply clear tape over seal.
Shredded Cheese
Step 1: Save clear cheese container or any clear food container similar to this one.
Step 2: Cut up small pieces of yellow and white yarn. This is tedious and takes some time, at least ~15 min but worth it in the end.
Step 3: Stuff all your pieces in the container.
Step 4: Apply lid and clear tape.
Juice Boxes
Step 1: Drink and save 6-8 juice boxes, rinse them out and leave to dry for a day.
Step 2: Line up juice boxes (the way you see them on the shelf of a grocery store) onto clear Con-Tact Paper. I found the contact paper to be helpful in holding the juice boxes together as I taped them together using clear Scotch Packaging Tape.
Bonus: As featured in the pic at the top of the post, items like plastic sauce jars & dressing bottles can easily be repurposed by pouring respective paint into the bottles and shaking it up until the paint is evenly dispersed amongst the inside of the bottles. Then glue the lids close!
Trust me, these simple recyclables are likely to be more memorable for your kid than cheap quality play food. Kiddos tend to mouth those products (which likely contain icky BPA) more than they do packaging- probably because they recognize that packaging is inedible. But, heads up, they will try to open the packages. So, do make sure you use lots of tape or glue to seal all contents properly.
What kind of toys will you make? Share your creative ideas for recyclables in the comments below! Can’t wait to hear what you come up with!
Sincerely,
Briesh
P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious!
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