Repurposing Coffee Containers

**mauimagic** · 09-25-2010, 02:43 AM

I recently sent an email to everyone at our school looking for donations of coffee containers - cans and plastic!! I've decided use them throughout this school year for any and all projects that I can think of.

This week the children decorated the large cans to create drums - they turned out really well and the children love using them. Pictures will follow.

Do you have any ideas to share? They don't need to relate to school or children, just interested in getting as many ideas as I can.

**MaryCarney** · 09-25-2010, 04:36 AM

Turn the large non-plastic (round) ones on their sides and glue together - they make cute cubbies - or they could hold rolled up hand towels, paint smocks etc.
We used to get the big ice cream containers when I was a kid (our Uncle Sid's poker buddy owned a 31 flavors!) and we'd cover them with wallpaper samples and use them as trash cans -maybe the larger ones could be used for this?

**2ndGenGranola** · 09-25-2010, 07:27 AM

The kids put their small piece toys in them.
I put my Oxyclean and stuff like that that needs to be close in cans instead of trying to shut the bag each time.

**khaski** · 09-25-2010, 08:27 AM

Well, ours hold grease from cooking in the freezer til they're full and we toss 'em or candle wax...I love to burn candles,. and sometimes the wax needs a clean out.....

**frugalfranny** · 09-25-2010, 01:31 PM

Most of my coffee comes in bags.....so......dog poop bags!

A friend gave me some plastic ones and I use them in my garage to hold nails, screws, etc. The stuff that you buy in bulk at hardware store.

**mauimagic** · 09-25-2010, 02:53 PM

One teacher has large slim fast cans, so we'll have some more variety. I am using old medicine containers for small shakers too!!

**valerian** · 09-26-2010, 11:11 AM

We use them to gather eggs, take out food scraps to the chickens, and scoop up their feed....nothing to help your kiddies though....sorry.

**angelbumpkin** · 09-26-2010, 12:51 PM

I put my bags of sugar,and flour in themas well as as boxes as pasta. We have one that holds crayons and markers . I have one that has extra wash clothes and hand towels in them. One that holds all the extra toothpaste and brushes.

**mauimagic** · 09-26-2010, 01:44 PM

Love all these great ideas - even if they don't apply to the preschoolers - I can still use them at home!!

**prudent lass** · 09-26-2010, 02:42 PM

It’s so great that you’re doing this, mauimagic! Cannisters are *great* for matching and sorting tasks. They're perfect for early preschoolers and work wonderfully for older kids with learning needs (especially for kids with autism who typically are visual learners).

For the earliest learners, simple “put-in” tasks can teach basic sequencing skills. Cut a hole in the lid of the can, put a bunch of items next to it, and have the kids put the items through the lid one by one. The sound of the items hitting the bottom of the can is very satisfying for the kids. You can also change the size of the hole so that kids have to slightly force items through. One great task I saw involved pushing velcro rollers through a slightly smaller hole. The kids loved the sound of the rollers pushing through the hole.

For more advanced kids, you can use multiple cans to create a sorting task. You can have kids sort by:

Size (e.g., cut a small hole in one lid and a big hole in another and have them sort small and large blocks accordingly)
Shape (e.g., cut a triangle-shaped hole in one lid and a square-shaped hole in the other and have them sort square and triangle-shaped blocks)
Colour (e.g., label one hole with a swatch of “red” and the other with a swatch of “blue”; if your kidlet is hyperlexic, you can use words to label the slots )
Category (e.g., people vs. animals, vehicles vs. clothes, farm animals vs. jungle animals, etc.)

You can also target fine-motor skills. Put a bunch of clothes pins in the can and have the child clip them one-by-one onto the edges of the can.

I know these tasks sound very basic, but little kids love the idea of starting and completing tasks (don’t we all?). The activities are also effective at developing semantic organization and sequencing skills. I usually attach my cans to the cardboard bottom of a pop case so as to create an all-in-one activity. For kids with autism, I always include step-by-step visual instructions so that the child can follow the activity independently.

For more ideas, try googling “TEACCH” and “Tasks Galore” activities. People have come up with some wonderfully creative ideas. Also, try putting up the bat signal for shoeboxes. People usually have a ton of these in their houses and they’re also great for sorting and matching tasks.

**mauimagic** · 09-26-2010, 02:58 PM

Mahalo Plenty Prudent Lass!! Absolutely wonderful ideas. I need to review my TEACHH notebook from the week long training I took years ago!! Cannot wait to take pictures to share!!

**prudent lass** · 09-26-2010, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by mauimagic

Mahalo Plenty Prudent Lass!! Absolutely wonderful ideas. I need to review my TEACHH notebook from the week long training I took years ago!! Cannot wait to take pictures to share!!

Wow, I'm blown away that you've done TEACCH! Now I feel a little embarrassed by my elementary suggestions. I only wish that I could have done a week of their training. I can't wait to see your pics; I'm always excited to see new ideas!!

**mauimagic** · 09-26-2010, 03:16 PM

Prudent Lass - don't be ridiculous - I needed your ideas as I was thinking of things that my students could make and not thinking in the vein of activities. Mahalo for the reminder and opening my eyes to even more possibilities!!

Watching the little ones proudly grab the tins is sooooo inspiring!! Cannot wait to see what happens when we use PL's suggestions at activity time - oh yeah - I am a happier woman now!!

**prudent lass** · 09-26-2010, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by mauimagic

Prudent Lass - don't be ridiculous - I needed your ideas as I was thinking of things that my students could make and not thinking in the vein of activities. Mahalo for the reminder and opening my eyes to even more possibilities!!

Watching the little ones proudly grab the tins is sooooo inspiring!! Cannot wait to see what happens when we use PL's suggestions at activity time - oh yeah - I am a happier woman now!!

Yay! I'm glad to hear it. Just checked out your profile -- Spec Ed background, daughter doing her doctorate OT -- no wonder we're in sync. I'm a speech path so your people are my people.

**mauimagic** · 09-26-2010, 05:03 PM

Absolutely family PL!!

DD has changed from doctorate to masters so she can go out and get some experience and then decide what path her future education will take!!

If I had been aware of SLP way back when, think I might have gone that way - love that field and all that can and is done!!