What do you do with your empty cans?

We are going through a can of formula each day. Does anyone use the empty cans around the house for anything? We have some in the garage to store screws, nails, etc. I also saw someone on TV wrap cans with decorative paper and use them as flower vases. Any other ideas?
Holly

 

We are going through a can of formula each day. Does anyone use the empty cans around the house for anything? We have some in the garage to store screws, nails, etc. I also saw someone on TV wrap cans with decorative paper and use them as flower vases. Any other ideas?
Holly

 

Every time that I throw a can in the garbage I think to myself that they would be great for some type of craft. I was just thinking this morning that I could decoupage pics of the babies on a can and give it as a gift to a grandparent to use as a pencil holder.

 

I put ours in the recycling.

 

didnt read the other posts, sorry if this is duplicate.

cut a bank slit hole in the lid, wide enough for juice lids to go thru. They will love this game around 11-16 months. from 18+ months you can have them match colors etc of the lids. you can also use the can to drop in ABC flash cards after they tell you what the picture is. develops fine motor.

Take another and cut up to 3 round holes in the lid. stuff different colored strips of fabric or LONG plastic tablecloth strips in each one. they can pull out the fabric thru the holes. it will be a game like unloading the kleenex box but less frustrating for you.


I have a couple of cans which I covered in wrapping paper and contact paper and the girls still love to play these games.

 

RECYCLE, baby!!!

 

quote:
Originally posted by p31heather:
didnt read the other posts, sorry if this is duplicate.

cut a bank slit hole in the lid, wide enough for juice lids to go thru. They will love this game around 11-16 months. from 18+ months you can have them match colors etc of the lids. you can also use the can to drop in ABC flash cards after they tell you what the picture is. develops fine motor.

Take another and cut up to 3 round holes in the lid. stuff different colored strips of fabric or LONG plastic tablecloth strips in each one. they can pull out the fabric thru the holes. it will be a game like unloading the kleenex box but less frustrating for you.


I have a couple of cans which I covered in wrapping paper and contact paper and the girls still love to play these games.


THOSE ARE AWESOME IDEAS!!!!! WISH I HAD SOME CANS LEFT!

 

You could also decorate the outside and then put different kinds of things inside like beans in one and paper clips in another and rice in yet another and so on. Then put some sort of material on the ends and rubberband it tightly and have different sounding shakers. When they are older, you could make it a game where you show them some different items, let them touch them and explore them and then they have to figure out which can has which type of thing inside by shaking and listening. Also, when they are older you could use it as a counting tool. I used to play this game with my kindergarten class where they have to close their eyes and I would drop a penny or something with a little bit of weight inside, one at a time. They had to listen carefully and try to count along as I dropped each one then I would say, "Ok, open your eyes. How many pennies did I drop." It was actually one of our math program games.

 

Coffee cans or oatmeals can work for these things too. You can save kid cup lids, lids to baby food jars, yogurt tops for putting in the cans. My first daughter loved this homemade game. I love the kleenex box idea.

 

You might be able to donate them to a local elementary school. They love stuff like that for their kindergarten/1st grade projects! About once a year I roll into school with my old Sunsets and my grandma's Taste of Homes (both magazines), the Kindergarten teacher gets very excited!