| Under your supervision, your child's booster seat | | | | Appliance boxes decorated by your preschool |
| at the kitchen table can be transformed | | | | artist and with windows cut-out (by an adult); can |
| temporarily into a "school desk", on which fun, | | | | become a cozy "Reading Room". Just add a light |
| homemade manipulatives can be sorted and | | | | source through the "ceiling" and throw some |
| formed into letters and numbers. If you cringe at | | | | pillows inside. |
| the mentioned of the word "homemade" and | | | | Cereal boxes can yield a harvest of colorful, |
| think only the "Martha Stewarts" of the world can | | | | cut-out letters. Cover them with clear contact |
| handle that-be assured-my suggestions are easy | | | | paper and they last forever! Busy, little fingers |
| with a capital "E". | | | | love to sort them. Empty shoe boxes decorated |
| "Recycling" Creativity | | | | with construction paper, convert into light-weight |
| Recyclable items are everywhere in your home, | | | | building blocks. Your child's architectural designs |
| look around at what you routinely recycle or | | | | with be limitless and environmental-friendly! |
| throw out. Toilet paper rolls can be collected and | | | | Brainstorm Around The House |
| turned into puppets. If you are not the artistic | | | | Look around your home for inexpensive items |
| type, don't fret-a quick marker-drawn face on | | | | that you normally stock. Dried beans and |
| one end of a toilet paper roll and instantly you | | | | spray-painted pasta make excellent finger-friendly |
| have a Superhero! Kids love to pretend, so with | | | | counters. I found numerous uses for bulk-bought |
| just some encouragement from you, and that | | | | plastic straws and coffee stirrers. We bound them |
| "artistic handicap" of yours will help them exercise | | | | together to show One-Tens-and-Hundreds. We |
| their imaginations. Have your little ones insert their | | | | formed letters with them on the floor. We used |
| fingers in the center-and your puppet comes alive | | | | them as puppet arms. |
| for the cost of the ink! Gather your recyclables | | | | Multi-shaped pasta and Fruit Loops can be used to |
| and do a little brainstorming! | | | | make patterned necklaces. Tape one end of a |
| Gather Up Collections of "Stuff" | | | | length of yarn to a table top and let little fingers |
| I collected lids from milk and juice bottles, | | | | do the threading. Remove and tie in a bow and let |
| disinfected them, and tossed them aside in a | | | | the Artist wear her masterpiece. Paper plates can |
| plastic container on my counter. Within a few | | | | be transformed magically into masks. Coffee |
| weeks, I had an interesting collection that were | | | | filters are great for mini-drawing paper, puppet |
| great for learning patterns, an important | | | | hair, and mini-Art frames. Your house is full of |
| pre-reading and pre-math skill. Look for | | | | preschool curriculum! |
| plain-colored plastic lids vs. the ones with writing | | | | Keep you eyes open and let your imagination run |
| on them. Collect ones that match in size and color, | | | | wild! Cookie sheets can double as a surface for |
| and also collect a variety of sizes for sorting. Add | | | | magnetic letters or a base for messy projects. |
| a few plastic bowls and you can play endless | | | | Bowls, pans, and lids can be musical instruments, |
| sorting games! "Going Green" never was such fun! | | | | just add a plastic serving spoon and a child's |
| Look At "Junk" Differently | | | | energy! It might be noisy, but it is unbeatable |
| Ideas will abound when you check-out your | | | | (excuse the pun) as an introduction to rhythm for |
| recycling bins. Margarine tubs with lids can be slit | | | | little ones. Drums made from round oatmeal |
| at the top, and "Presto" you have a cash register | | | | boxes decorated with construction paper are |
| for playing money games. Egg cartons can be | | | | easy to make. Paper towel rolls, with wax paper |
| transformed into boxes for you child's collections. | | | | and a rubber band on one end, can be turned |
| Newspaper taped together can be morphed into | | | | instantly into a kazoo! You and your child can |
| large sheets of drawing paper. Kids love to color | | | | make music with things that you already have in |
| to "themselves" after having their whole bodies | | | | your house. |
| outlined with fat markers on a large sheet of | | | | Handmade vs. Manufactured |
| paper. | | | | Contrary to what you think "expensive and |
| Old magazines can be treasure troves for | | | | factory-made", does not equal |
| photographs to decorate your creations. We glued | | | | "educationally-successful", or for that matter, |
| magazine, cut-out photos to paper plates, tied | | | | "memorable". My oldest daughter, who recently |
| them together on one side with yarn and made | | | | graduated with honors from a local public high |
| instant "books". This is a fun way to allow your | | | | school, still talks with fondness of the homemade |
| child to practice her "writing" skills. I still have a | | | | school supplies we used in her preschool years. |
| motorcycle-themed book in my son's keepsake | | | | She recently paid me the greatest compliment by |
| box! Include your child in this discovery process. | | | | saying she wanted to teach her kids in the exact |
| You can ask him, "How can we use these plastic | | | | same way that I taught her. |
| lids for school?" You will be amazed at the | | | | I'm not saying throw out every whirling, buzzing, |
| suggestions you will get! | | | | manufactured gizmo that overflows from you |
| Explore New Ideas For Old Items | | | | child's bedroom, but I am encouraging you to |
| Once you start on the adventure of making your | | | | move toward the fun and simplicity of homemade |
| own preschool supplies you will never look at a | | | | toys and games. You will never regret it! It's |
| box the same way again! Shoeboxes can be | | | | Green and it's cheap--good for the environment |
| transformed into panoramas with glued-in | | | | and your bank account! |
| miniature toys and crayon-colored backgrounds. | | | | |