Empty Yogurt Cups Equal Fun with Kids

Yogurt is a "yummy" snack for most children. It's easily accessible for kid to grab in the refrigerator and 'dig in.' And those cute containers are so collectible for a diversity of household uses. Would you believe that there are a variety of children's activities that can be done using these empty containers? Get the kids to think in creative ways-allowing them to take something that may not appear like the average art material and turn it into something that is aesthetic and meaningful to them. So, go ahead and get the junk box out (or as I call it, the collage cart) and together create a cool piece of art or innovative game. Try a few of these ideas for fun!

Giving the Cup a Haircut:

Here's a new twist on planting grass seed. Take a leg off of an old pair of pantyhose. Fill the toe of the stocking with potting soil mixed with grass seed. When it's the size of a small ball, tie a knot in the stocking. Place it into a yogurt cup and moisten with water. Place this in a sunny window and invite the kids to watch for growth. In the meantime, think of ways to decorate this soon-to-be hairy creature. You can cut facial features from construction paper or glue on wiggly eyes or faux gems. The kids can even name their grassy creatures and write a story about them. Watch the grass grow and when it becomes overgrown, supply your children with safety scissors to give their "grass heads" a haircut. Let the grass grow again for another fun trim at a later date.

Water Cups:

Letting your children play freely with water allows them to explore and discover. It develops their senses. Make different numbers and sizes of holes in the bottom of several yogurt cups. Let the kids fill them with water, holding the cups over the sink or in the bathtub. They will enjoy watching and feeling the water sprinkle out. Invite them to guess which cup will drain fastest.

Continue to page 2 to find more activities for reusable yogurt cups.

Nose Puppet:

Puppets are friendly creatures to make and interact with. Cover yogurt cups with construction paper. Glue or tape the seam. Cut a small circle out the side to make a nose hole. If the edges are sharp cover with tape. Encourage your children to draw faces onto the paper-covered cup. Use crayons, markers, glitter pens, or whatever you kids enjoy. Have the children stick a finger into their cups and out the hole as the nose. Make up a story or sing songs.

Cup Toss:

Place a Ping-Pong ball into a yogurt cup. Let the children try tossing the ball up and out of the cup and catching it again. Simple game and when the kids get tired of this game, the cups go back into the recycle bin.

Mystery Cup Game:

Remember the walnut shell memory game? Try this same concept using yogurt cups. Collect three identical cups. Invert them on a tabletop. Place a small object under one and then start rearranging the positions of the cups, sliding them on the table. See if children can guess which cup has the object underneath. Continue playing the game allowing all the members of the family to take turns.

Blowing in the Wind:

A yogurt cup makes a cute little windsock to be placed outdoors or inside a breezy window. Have the kids cut out the bottom of yogurt cups and staple colorful ribbons to the bottom edge. The sides of the cup can be decorated as the children wish. Punch four holes equally spaced along the top edge of each cup. Lace a piece of yarn through each hole and knot tightly. Bring up all four lengths of yarn together and knot them at the top to make a hanger. Suspend these cups in a windy spot and watch the windsocks fly in the air.

Circle Painting:

Young or old, children will enjoy making circle print collages with yogurt cups. Pour a small amount of poster paint into a low container, such as a Styrofoam meat tray. Have the kids dip the rims of the cups into the paint and then press them onto paper to make circle prints. Use both top and bottom rims for a variation of size. Use different color paints; mixing, matching and comparing new colors made. Dip and print; continue making this circle collage covering the entire page. Enhance this print art with glitter or sparkling salt.

Ring-Toss Game:

Kids bored? Need a quick game for fun? Cut out the center sections from yogurt cup lids. Use them to play a ring-toss game by turning a stool upside down on the floor and having the children try to toss the rings over the legs. Keep score-who can get the most rings on a spindle?

Noise Makers:

Let's make some noise and explore the sense of sound at the same time. Yogurt cups are a source of easy-to-make sound shakers. Make sure each container has a lid. Fill them ¼ to ½ full with dry beans, rice, pebbles, sand, beads, coins, etc. Seal the tops with a bead of heavy glue (like Krazy Glue). Invite the kids to decorate these shakers. Materials such as magazine cutouts, colored papers, wrapping paper, stickers and more can be glued on. Enhance with markers. Shake, shake, shake and compare the sounds made by the different materials.

To make this a game, make pairs of the same noisemakers. Place these on a table and mix the cups around. Ask the children to shake each container and find the matches by listening to the differences of sound.

Humming Cups:

Grab some yogurt containers and make these homemade instruments that will have your children singing and dancing.

Cut the bottoms out of the cups. Let the kids cover the tops of the cups with waxed paper and secure the paper with the rubber bands. Show them how to touch their lips to the paper and hum a tune. Together observe how the paper vibrates, causing a humming sound. Sing a song while the children play their instruments, or turn on the radio and play along with the music.

Yogurt Cup Pin Cushion:

Do you want a cute gift to make from a yogurt cup? Any mom, grandmother, or aunt would love this creative work of art made by your child.

Cut a piece of fabric three inches larger than the circumference of the yogurt cup rim. Show your child how to sew a running stitch one-half inch from the edge of the fabric. Gently gather the thread and pull to make this fabric into a "cushion" shape. Stuff the inside of the cushion with fiberfill until firm. Apply glue just inside the rim of the cup and place the cushion inside.

To decorate the outside, choose fabric, paper or decorated adhesive paper. Glue in place and invite your child to enhance the cup as desired. Allow to dry and place a few brightly colored sewing pins into the pincushion before delivering this gift.