Common Household Items = Tools for Learning?

Many of us are familiar with reduce, reuse, and recycle—but don’t forget re-purpose! You might be surprised to know that many items you have laying around your house, or even those tucked away can become tools for learning. If you have any of these items, consider using them to engage in learning fun:

Clothespins and Coffee Filters

Learning = Lifecycles, imaginary play, literacy, & fine motor development

How?   

 1. Draw on the coffee filter with a marker and spray with water.

 2. Dry. If not too wet, this does not take long!

 3. Scrunch or fold the filter several times back and forth.

 4. Use a pincher grip to open the clothespin around the folded filter.

 5. Spread out the colorful wings.

 6. Use your work of art to tell the lifecycle story or another story of your own!

An Egg Carton and Old Buttons

Learning = Early math and science through sorting and classification, literacy, & fine motor development

How?    

1. Inspect the collection of buttons with your child.

2. Describe the buttons. Discuss size, shape, and/or the number of holes in the buttons.

3. Decide what attribute you will use to sort the buttons—by color, shape, or size will do! 

4. Sort buttons into several different compartments of the egg carton. Note: younger children will enjoy using just a few compartments; older children will enjoy using many!

What other learning tools do you have tucked away? 

This article also published in Positively Naperville--a local, reader supported, monthly newspaper published in Naperville, Illinois. Positively Naperville has been supported by a great group of local businesses, organically growing four pages at a time since it was first printed issue in September 2001.