Hobbies And Interests
Games
Using recycled materials to make games can be a simple way to entertain your kids on a rainy day. Most households usually have empty cardboard boxes on hand, use them to create games. For instance, make a game called Stabling Your Horses by overturning a box and cutting several vertical rectangular openings of various sizes. The smaller the opening, the greater the point value, with a maximum point value of 25 and a minimum of five. Give your kids marbles to shoot through the openings, keeping track of the points they earn. The first person to get 100 points wins the game.
Flying Toys
Spark your kids' interest in aviation with recycled flying toys. Use up the old plastic shopping bags you have lying around the house by creating parachutes. Have the kids experiment with different designs, ultimately attaching the parachute end to a paper or plastic cup with yarn or string. Test the parachutes with items like eggs or pennies to see how well they float. You can also make paper airplanes using simple household scrap paper. Have a contest to see whose design can fly the farthest, or make targets for your kids to hit with their planes.
Beanbags and Balls
If you've got a stash of rubber bands tucked away in a desk drawer, have your kids help you to reuse these simple items to make a super bouncy ball. Colored rubber bands are ideal, but plain colors will do. Scrunch up a piece of newspaper or use a spare marble for the center, then keep layering rubber bands until the ball reaches the size you want. For beanbags, sew up the edges of pieces of fabric to make pouches or pockets. Leave an opening to pour dried beans, seeds or rice. Fill up the pouches and sew up the openings and you're ready for a game of beanbag toss.
Dolls and Action Figures
Have your kids brainstorm ways to make their favorite characters using recycled materials you have around the house. For instance, use wooden clothespins, fabric, yarn and markers to make adorable clothespin dolls. For action figures that can do everything from a karate chop to a pirouette, use old thread spools and pipe cleaners to make bendable joints. Or, for the little fashionista, use pieces of recycled paper to create an original set of paper dolls, complete with a variety of interchangeable outfits. Just cut out the basic form for the doll then have your children design one-of-a-kind detachable paper outfits.