Does anyone have a good use for empty formula cans?

Question

Some are metal, and I save those for recycling, but others are that weird cardboard stuff like oatmeal canisters, and I can't recycle them.

Answer 1

Use them to store rice, pasta, flour, tea, coffee etc.  You can even cover them with nice shiny paper, or paint them to match the colour scheme in your kitchen.

Use them to store kids colouring pens/pencils, or to store matchbox type toy cars.  

Use them to store plasticine.

Put a ball of string in one of them, and pierce a hole in the lid.  Pull the string through the hole, and use it as a dispenser.

Use one as a money box, cut a slit in the lid and put your coins in.  You could even have one for pennys, one for 2ps, one for 10ps etc.  

Alternatively, you could donate them to your local nursery - they will make good use of them.

Answer 2

Yeah, you can make some simple games with them. Get a hold of your local Parents as Teachers organization and they can give you some ideas.

Answer 3

You can recycle as a paper product.

Answer 4

You can stuff them with newspaper or plastic grocery bags and then cover them with colored contact paper to give children some great building blocks.  Add in some small boxes stuffed and covered the same way and you have a cheap alternative to buying large blocks.  

Cut a slit in the lid and then save the bottom or tops of juice cans.  Teaching toddlers to put objects into slits is a great developmental tool.  

Make a drum for a child.

Use them for storing things, pens, pencils, q-tips, cottonballs, ect.  

Paint seal with varnish, cut a small hole in one side and add string at the top for a hanging birdhouse.

Let kids play with dried beans and use detergent cups and formula cans to scoop the beans and dump them, another great fine motor skill.  I usually put the beans in a large box or roasting pan to contain the mess. Can do the same thing with cotton balls, pebbles, shells, macaroni, rice, sand, beads, use your imagination.

Let kids plant vegetables to be transfered to a garden later.  Just place them on a cookie sheet to help with draining.

Answer 5

Note: Rod R's wife answering this one

adding to the above:

-they are great for storing things like yarn and other craft type items (especially bulky ones) sorted  

-sorting and storing slighly larger light wieght items in the garage (my husband keeps extra wireing stuff in them)

-playing cards

-marbles (for older kids)

-car activitiy pacs (little games or small toy to amuse kids on longer car rides, they pac up great and you can keep them in the car and they keep everything contained insead of being a mess, my older nephews love keeping their dice game in them - 5 jumbo dice and score cards and pencil/pen and rule card)

-put some dried beans or rice or beads (whatever experiment with the sounds) tape/glue it shut cover it in fun paper or drawings and have a larger shaker instument to play with it helps to have some kind of handle affixed to it too.

- I like to use them as a gift box type of thing, I remove the labels, cover the sides (and sometimes bottom) with gift wrap/foil wrap and put in gifts, especially for food type gifts like cookies, and it is reuseable like a gift bag,

-sometimes I use them for paking box when shipping stuff through the mail...they are sturdy and tend not to crush and they are light weight.

-I also use them for dry pasta/food storage..they stack well, they keep everything dry (and if you use the metal ones they are also bug and rodent resistant..they can eventually cut through the lids) and cause most of them have that silver finish inside they wipe clean with damp rag.

Answer 6

i do get rid of them

Answer 7

If you know of anyone that does Chinese Auction fundraisers.... they would probably love to take them off your hands. They make great ticket containers.

Answer 8

dont recycle them put carbord not in the same  as metle

Answer 9

I have two of them full of pens and pencils.

Answer 10

i use them for storing homemade playdough and other crafty stuff, beads,  foam shapes etc..

Answer 11

A lot of schools take them as donations and use them for class projects.