Shoe box & coffee can ideas for kids?
A friend of mine has overloaded herself with some 9 West shoeboxes and large sized coffee cans. Her children, ages 3 & 4, have recently become very interested in arts & crafts. Any crafty ideas for these lil ones to recycle the boxes & cans?? 
These are all great ideas!! Thanks everyone!!!!
I really can’t choose which one is the best – I gave you all thumbs up, lol
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Coffee Cans can become decorated banks when convered with construction paper, just cut a hole big enough for quarters in the lid.
Shoe boxes can be painted, colored, decorated to become trinket boxes for treasure.
Shoe boxes can also be giant shoes.
Here are some, though 3 and 4 is kind of young for many “crafts.”
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GFRC,GFRC:2006-50,GFRC:en&q=kids+crafts+%22shoe+box%22
http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&rls=GFRC%2CGFRC%3A2006-50%2CGFRC%3Aen&q=kids+crafts+%22coffee+can%22&btnG=Search
They could also just use them as building blocks, perhaps covering with Contact paper, felt, or whatever, first … or maybe to color-code too.
HTH,
Diane B.
Coffe cans can be painted and made into drums. Kids ususally get a kick out of that. The shoe boxes can be for making unusal type doll houses if placed next to each other, or blocks if the lids are taped down and the outside painted or covered with stickers and the like.
My children used coffee cans to make their father pen holders for father’s day last year for his desk.
We painted the cans white.
My daughter used fabric paint to decorate the can.
My son choose to glue strips of tissue paper to his can.
They signed and dated them.
I finalized them with a coat of varnish.
you can make themed shadow boxes like a under the sea theme with fish and they can draw inside the boxes and decorate them with construction paper and crayons, and with the coffee cans they can decorate them so they can put their small toys into or else they can make a makeshift drum out of it….
Wrapping paper, construction paper, tissue, paper, paper cards,colored funny papers, magazines, child safe scissors, hole punch, odd puzzle, game pieces, finger paint,
stick glue. Parental supervision.
Boxes can be made into shadow boxes and display treasures. Children can place a background in picture to complement the treasure.
Hint: Take digital snap shots of finished treasure displays for album and/or slide show presentation {Keeps clutter down). Have a place of honor for display of one or two. “This is the official Art Honor Spot” ; a new display piece displaces the old; pass on the older ones as gifts to family/friends or have an “official “recycling ceremony with pomp and ceremony (if necessary) for the old when the new takes over the place of honor.
Idea: Child picks ” things I like to do with you” and places them in box. Memories of things done with loved one and picture of them with that loved one– a shadow box scrapbook as it were. Gift box to loved one; after mom takes a picture of course.
How about an arts and crafts, storage divider depending on how many boxes are on hand. Could even gather them together and top with solid card board top to make a table.
Will need help from adults to connect them together.
Lay end to end in layers. Punch holes to add string or paper fasteners to hold them together. Use strong tape around perimeter. Let them pick out pictures to put in back of box for what items will be put in that section–Toys, craft supplies, art supplies.
Coffee cans could be decorated to make small trash cans,
or hold parts for puzzles, games,
spare holder for toilet paper–decorate maybe even like a candle,
Use 4 or more cans for legs on low table. Use a lot and make a display table with clear plastic top.
Can use joined boxes or cans to make toss games such as
Tick tack toe, numbers, colors, ABC,
Coffee cans on their side, secured could make a good (shoe/toy) rack for kids this age.
Can also make beds for doll/soft toys.
Shoe boxes can become treasure boxes and can be decorated with anything they want from constructionpaper to pictures,paint,jewels/rhinestones,fabric, you name it
Coffee can can be turned into watering cans for flowers, flowerpots( have them with different plant seeds and label the cans so you know what comes up) and can be decorated as well with pain, fabric, pictures etc And can be turned into nice Mother’s Day gifts as well
Check out the website: FamilyFun.com
Have fun!