Simple, Inexpensive Additions to Maximize Learning Through Play

Editor’s note: This text-based course is an edited transcript of the webinar Simple, Inexpensive Additions to Maximize Learning Through Play, presented by Amber Tankersley, PhD.

Learning Outcomes

After this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify appropriate learning goals for young children.
• Recognize potential sources for learning materials.
• Select budget-friendly materials to maximize learning in an early childhood classroom.

Introduction

Working in early childhood education, it is crucial to find materials that fit your budget, regardless of its size. Years ago, we would refer to this as "teaching cheap" because quality activities and materials for young children don't have to be expensive.

To give you a bit of background, I began my career as a preschool teacher in a classroom for three- to five-year-olds. Due to limited supplies and a tight budget, I had to be very resourceful. I soon became the director of the same program, started teaching early childhood courses as an adjunct instructor, and eventually ended up in my current position as a professor in child development and director of our preschool lab. This dual role allows me to work with young children and families daily while also preparing students who aspire to work with young children.

Just this past semester, we had a shift in our faculty, and I took over as the lead preschool teacher for about six to eight weeks. This experience was incredibly rewarding. It was wonderful to be back in the classroom with my college students, showing them that I still remember how to do these things. It also provided an opportunity to go through our preschool cabinets and find some hidden gems. Part of this course is about helping you discover hidden gems in your program that you can use with the children you work with.

I am also a mom with young adult children. The time I spent finding interesting activities for my kids at home has certainly helped me in the classroom and my job on a day-to-day basis.

Let's Get Started

Let's get started. Regardless of the type of program you are in, there are likely moments when you don't have the right materials or feel limited by what you have stored away. Maybe your budget is really slim, but the ideas in this session are designed to help you in any situation. Whether you are in a home-based program, an infant-toddler program, a preschool program, an after-school program, or a Mother's Day Out program, this course will help you figure out how to use materials that are easy to obtain or very inexpensive. We know that funding in early childhood programs can be limited, and we want to maximize every resource.

As early childhood educators, we are great at hoarding supplies and stretching dollars as far as they will go. Since there are so many different types of programs, I can't predict exactly what you may need. Hopefully, you can piece together ideas from this course that will work for you and maybe spark other creative thoughts, leading you in new directions.

I hope this course helps you see your storage room, closet, or even junk drawer in a new way. You might find interesting materials to use with the children you work with.

Addressing Children’s Learning

We can't get started without first addressing children's learning needs and what goes into meeting those needs.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices

Developmentally appropriate practices should be one of the first considerations when planning activities and selecting materials for children. This idea of commonality includes ensuring that our spaces, materials, activities, and teaching strategies fit the age and developmental level of the children we are working with.

For example, it's crucial to recognize that preschool-age children have different needs and capabilities than toddlers. I wouldn't hand scissors to toddlers and walk away because they're not ready for that. However, we have scissors available for preschoolers to use at any time. Keeping in mind what works for different age groups is essential. You may hear suggestions in this course that you think won't work with your group of kids due to their age or developmental level. That's when you revise and adapt accordingly.

The second developmentally appropriate practice to consider is individuality. What are the individual needs, interests, and strengths of the children you work with? For instance, do you have a child who is really interested in dinosaurs or one who enjoys reading chapter books, even if the rest of the class isn't ready for that? It's important to tailor activities and materials to make them meaningful for individual children.

The third element of developmentally appropriate practices is context. This involves considering the social and cultural backgrounds of the children, the program, and yourself. For example, ensure that the materials you choose reflect the children's family backgrounds. In our program, we choose not to address holidays because we don't know which holidays all of our children celebrate or how they celebrate them. We don't want to address something in a way that doesn't fit the child's cultural background. This approach may not be the same for every program. If you are in a program housed in a religious facility, the celebration of holidays might be a significant part of your activities.

Ultimately, you need to look at your program, your children, and their backgrounds to decide what is most appropriate for your setting.

Developmental Domains

The next consideration, which can be addressed in different orders, is the developmental domains. It's essential to ensure that all developmental needs of the children in our program are being met.

First, we need to provide opportunities for language development, which includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Next, cognitive opportunities should be available, covering areas like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Physical development is also crucial and encompasses a wide range of areas, including fine and gross motor skills, health, safety, and nutrition.

The social-emotional domain is another critical area. While it can be divided into social and emotional aspects, it's often addressed together. This includes supporting children's emotional needs and competencies and helping them learn to socialize, understand social responsibilities, and engage in social studies.

These four domains—language, cognitive, physical, and social-emotional—are the primary focus areas. It's important to provide a balanced range of activities and materials that cater to all these domains. This ensures that the children you work with have ample opportunities to develop their skills across different areas, avoiding an imbalance where one domain, such as physical development, is overemphasized while another, like language development, is neglected.

Maintaining a good balance across these domains is key to fostering comprehensive development in young children.

Standards and Curriculum

You may be working with a specific curriculum, whether devised by your program or a purchased packaged program. Additionally, you might be adhering to standards, such as accreditation or state early childhood standards. Addressing your curriculum and the developmental needs of the children you work with is an ongoing task.

First and foremost, it's crucial to determine the learning goals for your program and classroom. This will allow you to select materials and activities that will help you achieve these goals.

Various factors come into play when addressing children's learning, but they can be summarized by focusing on creating a balance between the developmental domains. In our program, we primarily aim to balance these domains. We use a theme-based curriculum devised by our student teachers and follow our state standards. For us, that means adhering to the Kansas Early Learning Standards, all within the framework of developmentally appropriate practices.

In our program, we address these aspects to varying degrees, as they all mesh together and do not stand alone. While integrating these elements might seem complex on paper, it is more straightforward in practice. Ultimately, our goal is to help children grow and learn to their fullest potential.

Common Activities

The ways we address these goals involve various activities. I considered the main activities we use in our program and included an additional one that we don't currently implement.

In our program, we typically have large group experiences where all the children participate together. We also have small group experiences involving three to five children and an adult, which allows for more detailed attention and can better manage messier activities.

Learning centers are another key component. These provide opportunities for children to choose and explore materials and learn different skills and concepts. We'll discuss learning centers in more detail shortly.

Transitions are often overlooked but crucial parts of the day. These in-between times are prime learning opportunities and, if not planned properly, can lead to chaos. We plan our transitions carefully to ensure smooth movement from circle time to centers, from circle time to cubbies, and to dismissal. Proper planning maximizes our time, minimizes children's frustrations, and reduces waiting times. Inexpensive or found items can be very useful during transitions.

Outdoor play is a significant part of our daily routine. We also believe that meals provide excellent learning opportunities. Although we only serve a snack due to being a half-day preschool program, mealtime can address many learning aspects, including language development.

Lastly, rest time is an essential part of our program. Whether it’s nap time or just a quiet rest period, it offers opportunities for different activities within the program.

Learning Center Options

When planning or making changes, it's essential to consider the common centers you might have in your classroom. I understand that not everyone has the same space available. For instance, family childcare homes may not have the room to keep six centers open simultaneously. In such cases, rotating through two centers at a time might be the best option. Some programs share space, like a church program that has to pack up its materials for weekend services and then unpack them again during the week. This setup means not all centers can be out at once, and that's perfectly okay.

In our program, we don't always have all centers open at the same time. As we go through some materials in this course, you might get ideas like, "Our kids never choose this area. Maybe if I added this, we could develop a whole new learning center." For us, the primary centers include blocks, dramatic play, sensory, library, art, and light table. These are typically always available to our kids because we have a large enough classroom space to accommodate them.

Sometimes, we incorporate an easel into the art center, or we might set up a separate writing center. We also bring in natural materials to create a discovery and science center. Different centers may come and go based on the children's needs, the theme, or the curriculum we are following.

Looking at the possibilities within your program will help you find options for stocking these centers or creating small groups and other learning experiences. By being flexible and creative, you can make the most of your space and resources.

When Do You Need to Consider New Materials?

• Do you feel like you are always stocking the centers with the same materials?
• Are the current materials being used in a unique or otherwise inappropriate manner?
• Do children avoid centers or activities?

I like to look at the big picture before we dive into the details of how to stock our programs with fantastic materials that provide enriching learning experiences for children.

In a classroom or program, it's common to wonder if a change is needed. Here are my tips for recognizing when it’s time to switch things up in preschool. If you feel like you are constantly putting out the same materials, and as adults, you are tired of them, the kids are probably feeling the same way. A lack of variety is a good signal that it’s time to introduce something new. For instance, if you always have the same books out or always have sand in the sand table, it might be your clue to change things up.

Another sign that a change is needed is when children start using materials in unintended ways. For example, if puzzles are being used as play food in the dramatic play center or tape is being used to tape chairs together instead of for art projects, it might be time for a change. I recall a teacher who was upset because her students were not treating the books in the classroom appropriately. The children were using the books to slide across the floor, which was damaging them. When I asked how long it had been since the books were changed, she admitted she never changed them. After she rotated the books, the sliding stopped. The children’s creativity in using the books for sliding showed great cognitive skills but wasn't appropriate for preserving the books.

Additionally, if you notice that children are avoiding certain centers or activities, it might be time for a change. For example, if no one is using the sensory table, it might be because it has had the same materials for too long. Changing these materials can make the center more attractive and engaging.

Finally, if you have a routine activity, such as a song during circle time, and the children start resisting it, it might be time to introduce a new song or activity. While children do like routine, a bit of novelty and variety can spark their interest and lead to new learning experiences.

So, this week, take a look at your classroom or program. Are there areas that you are tired of? Are the kids being overly inventive with how they use certain materials? Is there a center or activity that no one wants to choose anymore? These might be signs that it’s time to refresh some areas or introduce new activities.

Where to Begin

• Inventory your program
• Rotation of materials 
• Find inspiration 
• Get suggestions from the children
• Start slow
• Keep an open mind
• Reflect and revise 
• Locate resources 
  • Books, journals
  • Seasoned teachers
  • Visit other classrooms
  • Online
  • Lending library

So, where do you start? Sometimes, with so many possibilities, this can feel overwhelming. The best thing to do, and I recommend doing this when you don't have children present, is to inventory your program. This can be a mental or physical activity. Whether you have a classroom, a storeroom, or just totes stored in a classroom, you need to know what materials you have available.

Start by inventorying your program. What materials do you have to choose from? What books can you pull from? What materials can you rotate through? Inventorying your program is the best place to start when considering changes. Sometimes, you may find items you forgot about in the back of a cabinet or something you didn't even know you had. This happens frequently in preschools. We often find things during storage area cleanouts that we had forgotten about or didn't realize we had.

Look for things that are not used or aren't used very often, as these might be the ones you want to start with. Once you know what you have available, consider setting up a rotation for the materials you bring out for the kids and those you hold back to rotate later. You wouldn't want to put all of your books out on the shelf at once. Having a rotation allows for deeper involvement with the activities or materials and keeps things fresh and exciting when you change them up.

Some books I hold back to use during circle time. In our program, we only bring out some items on rainy days. These items could be great in a center or on any other day, but holding them back for rainy days keeps them new and exciting. For example, we have a train set that would be great in the block area, but we save it for rainy days. The same goes for a marble run. This strategy keeps things interesting and helps manage those inside days better.

Finding inspiration is also crucial. Look to resources and ideas to help spark your creativity and bring new life into your program. The resource ideas listed above are great for this purpose.

I have three references listed for this session that I highly recommend. The first is "The Creative Curriculum" book, which is excellent for helping you set up classroom learning centers. Even if you don't use their curriculum, the book is a fantastic resource that I've used many times. The other two books highlight common household materials or other materials that would be good to rotate in and out of your program.

Books and journals can be a great source of inspiration. Connecting with seasoned teachers and visiting other classrooms can provide fresh perspectives. I love visiting other classrooms to see how different materials and methods are used. It’s inspiring to see variations of similar setups and discover new ideas.

Online resources, such as Pinterest and teacher blogs, are also valuable. Additionally, check if your community has a lending library through a resource and referral agency or other early childhood organizations. Your local library might also lend out materials. Even catalogs can be a great inspiration. I look forward to certain catalogs arriving, scouring them for ideas that I can recreate with materials we already have, thus saving money.

Engage with the children to get ideas. Observe their play to see how it evolves and identify what props or materials they might need. For example, when we had a zoo setup in our preschool, the children loved using an old, non-working camera. Seeing their excitement, I found four other non-working cameras so everyone could participate. Asking children what they would like in a dramatic play area or sensory table can provide useful insights.

It's essential to get excited about new ideas but also to proceed slowly. Implementing too many changes at once can be overwhelming for both you and the children. Start slowly to ensure you can manage the changes and the children can adapt comfortably.

Keep an open mind and look at materials creatively. Sometimes, as adults, we think we aren’t creative, but we can be when we view materials differently. Don’t doubt your creativity or ideas; the children will be thrilled with the activities and materials you present. Your excitement will make them eager to participate.

If something doesn’t work out, reflect on why and try again. My student teachers often hear me say that if something doesn’t go right the first time, try it another way or on a different day. Reflection is crucial because it helps you understand what works and why. Once you find something that works well, you can create more of the same. Pay attention to what the children enjoy and provide more opportunities for those types of activities, whether it’s sorting, light table activities, or specific games.

In summary, take inventory of your resources, seek inspiration from various sources, engage with the children for ideas, and proceed with changes gradually. Reflect on your practices and remain open-minded and creative. This approach will help you provide enriching and exciting learning experiences for the children.

Easy, Inexpensive Additions

Let's get to the fun part: adding inexpensive additions to your classroom or program. I like to categorize these additions to make the process easier. The first category is repurposed materials. These are items you might typically find in an early childhood classroom or program, often hidden away in the back of a storage closet, dusty and forgotten, or missing parts and pieces.

Open-ended items are particularly great because they can be used for many different purposes. Sometimes, we get stuck thinking that certain items can only be used in specific ways, like a kitchen set in the dramatic play center. But with a little creativity, we can brainstorm new uses for these items, essentially shopping our storage areas.

For example, when I inherited a classroom right out of college, I found a storage cabinet filled to the brim with a lot of junk, including a Peabody language kit. This language assessment set wasn't being used; it just took up space. Tired of moving it around, I finally opened it up and found ways to repurpose its contents.

The kit contained lovely picture cards of careers, which I integrated into our large group materials. We used these cards to discuss careers or tell stories. There were also puppets that I moved to the library corner and some manipulatives that, though I never discovered their original purpose, became part of our puzzle and game area. The kids could sort, count, and connect these manipulatives, using them as a small collection of items.

Repurposing the kit’s contents freed up cabinet space, and the empty case eventually became part of our dramatic play center as a piece of luggage. Over time, the case itself was discarded, but the materials continued to be useful. To this day, I still use those picture cards in my college classes to discuss language and storytelling.

Finding ways to use forgotten items can breathe new life into them and provide valuable resources for your program. It's about looking at what you have with fresh eyes and thinking creatively about how these items can serve new purposes.

Repurposed Materials

• Furniture
• Centers 
• Blocks 
• Play food 
• Magnetic letters 
• Legos/Duplos
• Bean bags
• Sticky notes 
• Game pieces
• Art/craft material 

Let's look at some ways to repurpose materials, starting with furniture. Sometimes, we have a limited amount of furniture to work with, but with a bit of creativity, we can make the most of what we have.

For example, we have a dramatic play kitchen set that includes a refrigerator, sink, cooktop with pretend burners, and a microwave. It's quite large, so it's difficult to move out of the classroom when changing themes. Instead, we find ways to incorporate this big piece of furniture into various dramatic play themes. Recently, we created a veterinarian center. We covered the burners with paper and taped it down to use as an exam table. The sink was perfect for washing hands, and the microwave became an X-ray machine. Visitors were often amused when they realized our microwave’s new role. The refrigerator served as a storage area for pretend medicines and supplies. This flexibility allows us to use the kitchen set in various themes without needing to move it.

We also transform centers based on the theme. For instance, our block center can become a city by adding cars, blocks with pictures of buildings, and roadways. A parent once donated an elevated train table with a cityscape rug, which we use for city and community helper themes. Sometimes, we cover it with Astroturf for animal themes, providing a different setting for the kids to play. Never turn down an item that somebody wants to give you, even if you don't know what to use it for. Keep it until you can find something to use it for. Since we don't always have room to store it elsewhere, repurposing it is very helpful.

Creativity extends to the types of centers we have. Block centers can be transformed by adding task cards, such as using blocks to create a bridge or using them as math manipulatives to count and learn shapes. I've also used the block area for rainy day games and large group activities, like a reverse Jenga where kids build a tower without knocking it down. We’ve had kids wrap blocks for a pretend birthday party, which is great for fine motor skills, or wrap blocks in white paper to make igloo blocks. Children have also built sets for dramatic play, such as beds for the three bears, integrating the block area with the dramatic play center.

We're going to talk about play food in a minute, so I'll move on. Magnetic letters can be used in various engaging ways. Children can create impressions by rubbing crayons or pencils over the letters covered with paper. They can also sort the letters by color, size, or whether they are vowels or consonants. Another fun activity involves placing the letters in a sensory table and letting children fish them out with magnetic wands. In the writing center, these letters can be used for tracing, stamping, and forming words.

Legos and Duplos are incredibly versatile tools. They can be used for basic math problems like addition and subtraction, creating patterns with different colors, and even painting by stamping patterns on paper. These blocks clean easily in a mesh bag in the dishwasher, making them perfect for repeated use.

Beanbags offer a range of activities. You can create tossing games using masking tape to measure distances or aiming for different colors. Adding beanbags to the block area introduces a soft dimension for building. They can also be used for graphing visual representations, such as who liked today’s snack or how children arrived at school, as well as for creating patterns and sequences.

Sticky notes, though seemingly simple, can be incredibly versatile. Use them to create calendars, measure lengths by placing them end to end, or as markers for bingo and other games. One fun activity is the mystery picture, where a picture is covered with sticky notes and revealed piece by piece while children guess what's underneath. Pictures from old calendars are great for this activity. Another game involves writing a number, shape, or word on a sticky note, placing it on a child’s back, and having the child guess what it says based on peers' clues.

Never throw away missing game pieces. These can be used to create new games or added to existing ones. They also make great characters or objects in the block area, adding another layer of play.

Arts and crafts materials can be integrated into various centers. Adding remnants like yarn, straws, cardboard tubes, tape, and scissors to the sensory table creates a cutting bin that offers great fine motor practice. These materials can also be used on a light table for different visual effects or in dramatic play to create costumes or props, like crowns and headbands. For example, children can make workout headbands or bracelets, fulfilling social needs by playing together and working on their fine motor skills.

Play Food

• Math 
  • Sort into food groups---food pyramid
  • Sort by breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard—memory game
• Language 
  • Imaginary Stone Soup
  • Match food to grocery store ads
  • Create shopping lists
• Physical
  • Create a balanced meal
  • “Hot Potato” with junk food items
  • “Pass the _________”
  • Food guessing game
  • Still life art activity 

Let's look at play food as a common material that you might have access to and explore a few different ways to use it creatively.

Play food, whether it's small or life-sized, can be sorted into food groups using the old food pyramid or the MyPlate guidelines. Sorting by food shapes is another fun activity. For example, you can sort circles, rectangles, triangles, and squares, with pizza fitting all categories since it can be round and cut into squares, rectangles, or triangles. This activity encourages children to think about shapes in a playful context.

You can also sort play food by meal types—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This activity can reveal cultural differences, as there is no universal standard for which foods are eaten at specific meals. This transforms a math activity into a social learning experience, as children share and learn about each other's eating habits.

For memory games, use nursery rhymes like "Old Mother Hubbard" to engage children. Fill a basket or tray with play food, let the children observe, cover it up, and then remove one item. Ask the children to guess what's missing, gradually reducing the number of items until the "cupboard is bare," and then restock it.

Play food can also enhance language skills. Encourage children to create recipes for imaginary dishes like stone soup or other innovative combinations. Use grocery store ads to match dramatic play center food with real grocery items, integrating literacy by matching items to words and adding a math component by pricing the items. Creating shopping lists as a large group activity and planning for events like camping trips or parties promotes both language and organizational skills. Discuss what would be a good food to take and why, as well as how to pack it. 

Physically, play food offers numerous opportunities for activities related to nutrition. Create balanced meals on a plate, or play "hot potato" with items considered junk food to emphasize moderation. You can also incorporate language by playing passing games with items related to the letter of the week, like passing a pumpkin or apple, enhancing both physical and cognitive skills.  

Food guessing games involve children reaching into a container to feel and identify different play food items, which develops fine motor skills and sensory awareness. Another engaging activity is still life drawing or painting of play food. Children can trace and cut out food shapes, recreating the items from the dramatic play center on paper, which adds an artistic dimension to their learning. 

By using these varied activities, play food becomes a versatile tool that supports math, language, social, and physical development in engaging and creative ways.

Mini Figures

Another item we often have in abundance in early childhood settings is mini figures. These might include little animals like farm animals, pets, insects, frogs, or vehicles. These small collections provide numerous opportunities for creative and educational activities.

Minifigures can be used to create engaging math games. Sorting games can classify animals by their coverings, such as scales, feathers, or fur. You can also sort them by habitat—land, water, or air—often discovering that some animals fit multiple categories. Other sorting criteria include the number of legs, diet, and habitat type. Additionally, creating patterning activities with minifigures or ordering them from smallest to largest offers a hands-on approach to math concepts.

These figures are great for sensory activities. Children can feel the different textures and practice making the sounds of animals or vehicles, enhancing their sensory awareness and fine motor skills.

In the art area, mini figures can be used as stamps for painting or as inspiration for drawing and crafting. Children can create scenes or tell stories through their artwork, incorporating the figures into their imaginative play.

Minifigures are excellent for language development. They can serve as story starters, prompting children to create and narrate stories. Matching games and bingo using minifigures can also foster language skills. For instance, a bingo card with primary colors can be paired with farm animals. If a pink pig is drawn, and it's on a red square, the child can place it on their card.

There are endless ways to incorporate minifigures into creative play. Little pet figures, like hamsters and guinea pigs, can be added to a sensory table filled with animal bedding and tubes, creating a "fake hamster corner." This setup allows children to role-play and learn about pet care.

By repurposing these mini figures, you can avoid purchasing new materials while giving new life to items you already have. This approach not only saves resources but also provides diverse learning experiences for children.

Free and Found Materials

The next category is free and found materials, which is one of my favorites because it's challenging—it's like a game to me. These materials can come from your junk drawer, home shows where they give away yardsticks and rulers, natural materials gathered from outside, or gift-with-purchase bags from sets of sheets. Donations from family and friends of your program can also be a great source. Encourage them to save items like butter tubs for you.

• Boxes 
• Containers 
• Lids, rings, caps
• Junk mail, envelopes
• Gift cards 
• Egg cartons 
• Styrofoam “peanuts”
• Cardboard/plastic  tubes 

If you need sensory items, think about the sources. For example, I go to the print shop on campus and ask them to save the hole punches from their industrial hole puncher to use as paper confetti in the sensory table. If you need shredded paper, find a place that shreds large amounts of it. There are so many options, and people love to save things. You can spread the word through newsletters or by hanging requests where families check in and out. We once traced the kids' hands, hung them from string, and wrote items we needed on them, like cereal boxes, butter tubs, and milk caps. Families loved it because it involved their child's hand and made them feel part of the process.

Boxes are another great resource. I never throw away a box until I figure out if I can use it. Kids love incorporating boxes into outside play. They often come to me asking for holes to be cut for doors in their boxes. Boxes also work well in the art area and construction or block area.

Containers, like diaper wipe containers or butter tubs, are great for making sorting games, storing items, or even building. Lids, rings, and caps can be used for math activities, art projects, and sorting. Junk mail and envelopes are another fantastic resource. Kids love things that seem adult-like, and envelopes can be used for writing, drawing, and cutting practice. Discarded envelopes from a department name change were a hit with our kids.

Gift cards or fake credit cards sent in junk mail are perfect for dramatic play, allowing children to pretend they are shopping. Egg cartons can be used for math sorting, planting seedlings, or holding paint, making them a versatile and disposable option.

Styrofoam peanuts, though they may receive some pushback from teachers, are one of my favorites. We used them in a zoo dramatic play center to represent popcorn, complete with little popcorn containers for scooping. It was a mess, but the kids loved it. They sold a lot of popcorn and had a blast. I've also used styrofoam peanuts as pretend snow or animal feed in veterinary or pet store play scenarios.

Tubes, Tape, Balls, and a Box

Another great material to use is cardboard or plastic tubes. These can be incredibly versatile and open up numerous possibilities for creative play and learning. In one instance, we dedicated an entire center to cardboard and plastic tubes, along with plenty of tape, and let the kids create their own ball drops. The children loved this activity, and it quickly became a favorite. They practiced critical science, engineering, and math skills as they figured out the angles needed to make the balls roll through the tubes successfully.

Figure 1. Children creating a ball drop.

As the children built taller and more complex structures, we had to bring out a step stool to help them reach higher points safely, as seen in Figure 1. This hands-on experience not only engaged them in problem-solving and spatial awareness but also encouraged teamwork and perseverance. Watching the kids work together to build these impressive ball drop structures was a joy, and it highlighted the educational value of such simple materials.

Free and Found Materials

• Corks, bread ties
• Nuts, washers
• Tiles
• Buttons
• Keys
• Coins
• Steering wheel
• Adding machines, keyboards
• Wallpaper sample books
• Paint chip samples

Figure 2. Free and found materials.

There are so many fantastic opportunities with tubes, and free and found materials can also include all the little "junkie" things we tend to throw away that would make a great collection. Figure 2 shows items from my "bag of junk" that I use in one of my classes. I pass out items to my students and ask them, "What could you do with this besides its normal purpose?" Whether it's building with plastic cups, using toothbrushes for splatter painting, or repurposing the fabric bag that a sheet set came in as a feely bag, the possibilities are endless.

Lots of math activities can be devised from these collections. Buttons, for example, are incredibly versatile. Of course, if you're working with younger children, you need to be aware of choking hazards and individual tendencies, like children who put things in their mouths. In the fall, one of our student teachers used pipe cleaners stuck into a cup anchored with playdough. The children then used buttons to decorate the pipe cleaners, making beautiful trees. The kids loved it so much that they wanted to take their creations home, even though it was meant to be an ongoing center activity where they could take the buttons off and redo it.

Another great source of materials is hardware stores. If you know someone who works there, you can get blank keys that were miscut and are usually discarded. These are perfect for dramatic play ("Hey, I have a ring of keys!"), tracing, or making noisy collages. There are so many cool opportunities with these items.

Paint chip samples are another great resource. I try to gather these whenever I can, along with wallpaper sample books or carpet samples. These free samples are wonderful additions to various activities and centers in your program.

People who are discarding items like adding machines, keyboards, headphones, and cameras provide excellent resources for dramatic play. These items can help create a rich and engaging environment for the children, sparking their imagination and encouraging them to explore and learn in new ways.

Natural Items

• Rocks
• Acorns, nuts
• Pinecones
• Leaves
• Shells
• Sticks, twigs
• Feathers
• Flowers 
• Mini pumpkins, gourds 

You can also wander around your program and find natural items. Be aware of potential allergies, bugs, and other things that may come in with those natural items. Consider what you have near your program and how you can use it. For instance, we have a lot of pine cones and acorns near our program, so we often go for walks to gather them. You might be able to gather sticks, flowers, pumpkins, or gourds, which can be used in various ways.

Going on a nature walk and having kids collect items is a great way to engage them with their environment. You can also organize scavenger hunts to find certain items around your program. Although not all children like to get dirty, using sticks to write in mud, writing in mud with fingers, or making mud pies can be wonderful sensory activities. However, if mud play is not suitable for your group, adapt the activities to what works best for you and the children you work with.

Natural items can easily be added to the sensory table or discovery center or used as math manipulatives. They are also great for the art area. Crunching up leaves to use as glitter, painting with flowers and pine cones, or rolling them to create patterns are just a few possibilities. Creating a leaf book and identifying different leaves to make a class book is another engaging activity.

These natural items provide endless opportunities for creative and educational experiences, making them a valuable resource for any early childhood program.

Inexpensive Materials

• Plastic cups
• Mini erasers
• Vase fillers
• Party trinkets
• Wooden craft pieces
• Masking tape
• Seasonal decorations
• Plastic kiddie pool 
• Pool noodles
• Plastic/paper grass
• Buckets 
• Calendars
• Placemats

The last grouping is inexpensive materials, which you can usually purchase without breaking the bank. I like to explore big box stores, dollar bins, clearance aisles, and places that clear out holiday items. Garage sales, thrift shops, surplus stores, hardware stores, and even grocery stores sometimes have interesting little areas where they offload things cheaply. You have to be creative and keep an eye out for deals.

Plastic cups are a great example. After holiday or birthday parties, I save the cups and bring them to school. We use them in dramatic play, the block area for building, the manipulatives area for sorting, and even in the sensory table. They have so many versatile uses.

Mini erasers, often found in various stores, make excellent counters and sorting items. Vase fillers, like the flat glass pebbles meant to fill vases, are another inexpensive find. They are great for counting, they feel interesting, and they come in different shapes and colors. Despite being glass, they are quite durable in normal classroom settings.

Party trinkets can be found cheaply and used creatively. For example, after Halloween, I buy plastic spider rings and cut off the ring part to use the spiders for insect units or nursery rhymes like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." Wooden craft pieces and masking tape are other inexpensive materials that have a wide range of uses in the classroom. Masking tape, in particular, is versatile and used frequently for various activities, including games on the floor.

Seasonal decorations can be a treasure trove of inexpensive materials. For instance, we found a bag full of artificial silk fall leaves, which became a beloved activity during our fall theme. The children enjoyed raking and throwing the leaves, and their joy was evident. Other seasonal items like plastic Easter eggs, Easter grass, and even cheap kiddie pools can be used creatively. Kiddie pools, for example, make excellent full-body sensory experiences or reading nooks and are perfect for containing messy activities.

Calendars are another great find, especially after the new year when they are marked down. Calendars with beautiful pictures can be used for thematic units, story starters, or simply as a calendar for writing activities. Placemats are useful for giving children a defined space, which is especially helpful in limited-space settings. They can define individual spaces for puzzles or games and can even serve as spots for children to sit during circle time, providing an affordable alternative to expensive circle time rugs.

Straws

• Fine motor practice
  • Stringing, lacing, snipping, cutting 
• Arts & Crafts 
  • Blow painting
  • Pop art
  • Dripping 
  • Sculpture
• Games
  • Pick up sticks
  • Balancing 
  • Blow soccer 
• Science
  • Water table props
  • Bubble blowers
• Music
  • Quiet rhythm sticks
  • Dance props
• Math
  • Counting
  • Measuring
  • Seriation 

One of my favorite inexpensive items, which can sometimes be free, is straws. If you keep your eyes open or simply check your glove compartment, you might find an excess of straws just waiting to be used. Straws are incredibly versatile and can be used in a multitude of creative and educational ways.

My favorite way to use straws is cutting practice. Straws make a fantastic noise when cut with scissors, which the children love. They are stiff enough to provide some resistance but not too hard for little hands to cut through. Beyond cutting practice, straws can be used for stringing activities. Children can lace the string through the straws or snip the ends and force them together to make chains or other shapes, providing excellent fine motor practice.

Straws offer numerous possibilities in arts and crafts. Blow painting is a fun activity where children use straws to blow paint across paper, creating unique patterns. Another favorite is bubble art. Each child gets a cup with soapy water and a straw. They blow bubbles until they overflow the cup, then lay a piece of paper over the bubbles to capture the bubble prints. This activity results in beautiful and unexpected designs.

Straws can also be used for classic children's games like pickup sticks or for creating balance games where straws are inserted through a structure to keep a marble from falling. For a simple soccer game, children can blow cotton balls or paper balls across a table. Straws are also great for exploring concepts like air pressure and vacuum at the water table.

While you do need to be mindful of hygiene when children put straws in their mouths, I've never had significant issues. Straws can be used to make bubble blowers, where strings are laced through straws to create big bubbles. If you don't have rhythm sticks or find wooden ones too loud, straws can be used as quiet rhythm sticks or other dance props.

Additionally, straws can be used for various math activities. Children can count them, compare diameters, order them from smallest to largest, or measure objects with them. Their simplicity, combined with their versatility, makes them a valuable resource for countless educational activities.

Summary

What I love about using interesting items in my teaching and classroom is the challenge of making a game out of it: "What can I use this for? What can I gather this for?" It’s about noticing materials all around you that might have been overlooked. This approach certainly saves money and promotes recycling, which helps the environment a little bit.

Using interesting items in unusual ways can be incredibly fun because the kids will love it. When the kids are engaged and excited about what they’re doing, it makes your job so much easier. Repurposing everyday items into valuable educational tools can bring a sense of accomplishment and creativity. Plus, the joy and curiosity it sparks in the children can turn any ordinary day into an extraordinary learning experience.

References

Dodge, D. T., Colker, L. J., & Heroman, C. (2002). The Creative Curriculum for Preschool. Teaching Strategies.
Goren, A. H., Kutzer, A., Rhodes, M., & Bennett, J. T. (1997). Instant lessons for little learners. The Education Center, Inc.
Johnson, J. A. (2008). Everyday early learning: Easy and fun activities and toys from stuff you can find around the house. Redleaf Press.