Gallon Ice-Cream Cartons

Wastebaskets: Cover the carton with the wallpaper which only needs a wet sponge to make it stick, old greeting cards, or pictures from calendars or magazines. If you paste on a child's finger painting and spray it with clear shellac this will be even more his creation.

Shoe Boxes

Train: String the boxes together for a floor train. Cigar Boxes

Doll bed: Remove the top of the box and paint it or cover it with material or paper. Add four spools for legs.

Supply box: Ideal for crayons, scissors, small bottle of glue. Also a good box for treasures.

Orange Crates and Boxes

Outdoor play equipment Uses for these boxes have been described in the section, Outdoor Play Equipment

Cans. Coffee Cans

Drum: How to make a drum is described in the section You Can Make Your Own Music.

Windbell: Use the lid of the coffee can. Punch several holes around the sides of the lid and attach paper clips, nails, or any small piece of hardware that will "jingle" when in motion. Hang in the wind. Transfer to the peach tree when the peaches are getting ripe. Very effective in discouraging blue jays.

Christmas decoration: Unwind the metal strip that opens the coffee can. It will look like an icicle and add glitter to your tree.

Warning: It is sharp-but seldom fatal.

Cocoa Cans

Bank: Remove the paper label and cut a slit in the tin lid. Cans of Graduated Sizes

Nests: Start with a tall grapefruit-juice can or a large-size solid-pack tomato can, and fit cans into it down to the smallest which is usually a baby-food can. Remove the labels and paint them each a different color. For a small child, the bright silver of the can itself is enough.

Bouillon-Cube And Band-Aid Cans

Water play: These small cans are loved by small children for play either in the bathroom sink or in their playhouse.

Washboard

Musical washboard: Strumming on the washboard with thimbles on the fingers is a favorite instrument (See You Can Make Your Own Music.)

Washing: Children like to scrub dolls' clothes or washrags this old-fashioned way.

Milk-Bottle Tops

Money: You can mark the tops lc, 5c, 10c, $1.00, $5.00; however, children will use them for money just as they are. Remember to have something around which the child wants to buy and you are willing to sell.

Christmas decorations: Spread paste on both sides of the cardboard disc and dip in Christmas "snow" or glitter. Punch a hole and tie a string to it and hang it on the Christmas tree. (See "Christmas" in the Holidays section.)

Old Clothes And Jewelry

For dress-up: The choicest items for the girls are furs, gold party shoes, bag to match, gloves, sequin blouses and fancy aprons. Lots of old costume jewelry. For the boys there are army hats, shirts, medals and duffel bags. Father's old felt or straw, loud ties, vests, and men's black patent-leather shoes. Spats are appreciated by some, hip boots by others. Boys also like ladies' hats, purses, and shoes.

Felt Hats

For beanies: Cut the brim off father's old hat and turn up the edges.

Cut scallops or notches. Add decorations, such as safety pins or campaign buttons. Cut decorations into the crown of the hat.

For designing: Cut circles, squares, triangles and strips, and the child can arrange according to his desires. A larger piece of felt can be used for the background. (See the section Things To Do.)

Feathers

Indian Brave: Staple a feather or feathers on a strip of white sheet and tie around the child's forehead. Get feathers at the poultry store.

Collage: See Things To Do.

Buttons

Sewing: Sewing buttons on cloth or cardboard is fun for children. (See Things To Do.)

Whizzer: String one hole of button on a piece of string about a foot long. Twirl the string several times and then stretch.

Spools

Legs for doll bed: Glue four spools to the bottom of a cigar box for the doll's bed (see preceding).

Stove burner controls: Spools can be glued or nailed on the front of an orange-crate stove for pretend burner controls (see Outdoor Play Equipment).

For stringing: String spools on a long shoelace and tie around the neck.

Corks

Painting: Try painting with corks instead of a brush.

Stamping: The stamp is made by cutting away the area you don't want to print Dip the cork in paint or ink or ink pad and apply to paper or fabric.

Dolls: Corks can be stuck in small bottles as heads for dolls. Make faces with pen and ink. Wrap a piece of material around the neck of the bottle and hold in place with pipe cleaners.

Pipe Cleaners

Uses for pipe cleaners are described in the section Things To Do. Jar Lids

For picture frames: This round metal cap can hold a piece of art work or picture of the family, a friend, or the child himself.

As stirrups: For the play horse made from a barrel, use jar lids for stirrups.

Ring toss: The bedpost is a good target for this game. The rubber seals used on the old-style jars were better for this, but are a rarity these days.

Easel tray: Nail jar lids to the easel tray. They help keep paint cans steady.

Toothbrushes

Spatter painting: Dip old toothbrushes in paint and with a spoon or popsicle stick brush the bristles toward you-to spatter the paint away from you. (See "Spatter Painting" in the Things To Do section.)

Candle Stubs

Candles: Old candles can be melted down and poured into molds for more candles. Use a piece of string for the wick. Good molds are round ice-cream cartons and square milk-bottle cartons. Food coloring or melted crayons can determine the color. But do not set these candles on your good furniture without a dish.

Aluminum Foil

Christmas decorations: Heavier foil, such as the kind frozen chicken pies come in, can be cut into stars, spirals, or cornucopias. Household aluminum can be used for wrapping walnuts (to be hung from the tree with ribbons), wrapping packages, or coffee cans filled with cookies or a plant (See "Christmas" in Holidays section.)

Ham Bones

Napkin rings: When the center ham-bone ring is clean and dry, it can be painted with bright enamel. (See "Christmas" in the Holidays section.)

Wishbones

Decorations: If wishbones from all fowl are saved throughout the year, painted with silver or gold enamel, hung from the tree or tied to Christmas or birthday gifts, you can wish on them with certain success.

Rubber Tiles

As roads: When rubber or asphalt squares are stretched out in a line on the floor, they make a wonderful road to run small cars and trucks on.

Playhouse equipment: When these squares are fitted inside an orange-crate sink or cupboard, they give the kitchen a "custom-made" look that is very easy to keep clean.

Broomsticks

Trapeze: A trapeze can be easily constructed by tying two pieces of rope on either end and hanging from something that is secured and sturdy.

Horses: A broomstick or mop stick is a horse or a witch's stick, just as it is. If your child likes his horse to have a head, one can be made easily from a man's sock stuffed with cotton batting or old nylons.

Rubber Hose

Fireman: A length of from five to ten feet supplies the equipment necessary to put out the fire.

Filling station: Secure a smaller piece, approximately three feet, to a sturdy box you have designed for the purpose of being a gasoline station. (See Outdoor Play Equipment.)

Alarm Clock

Children can have a wonderful time with clocks that are no longer dependable, but still have working parts.

Old Typewriter

Besides being educational, a typewriter is wonderful fun and an old one will keep children from using the untouchable one which is yours. But this is a rare item. You can try secretarial schools, your typewriter dealer, or a used furniture-curio shop.

Wheels, Tires, Inner Tubes, and Tire Pumps

Children will invent their own games around these choice objects.