Save empty boxes, cartons and other "throwaways," and your child can find many different ways to use them as playthings. In this activity your child can use lots of "throwaways" to make a whole community.

Materials:

• Milk cartons
• Construction paper
• Cardboard oatmeal containers or cardboard tubes
• Popsicle sticks
• Modeling dough (*see recipe below)
• Small pieces of cardboard
• Non-toxic glue
• Corks
• Empty kitchen matchbox
• Cotton balls
• Non-toxic markers or paint

Directions:

Here are ways to make things for the community:

Buildings: Milk cartons covered with construction paper. Draw or paste on paper for windows and doors

Tunnels and bridges: Oatmeal boxes with both ends cut out or blocks or small cardboard boxes. You can also cut the oatmeal box in half lengthwise and set it on the ground for a tunnel for toy cars to go through. Blocks and cardboard boxes can make bridges.

Traffic lights: Craft stick with three circles (red, yellow, green) drawn or pasted on it. Put the stick in a play clay base to make it steadier.

Stop signs: Pieces of cardboard shaped like an octagon stop sign with the word STOP written on it. Glue the signs onto craft sticks and put them into play clay bases at the intersections.

Fire hydrants: Corks painted red and glued down in the sidewalk area.

For a mailbox: a large-size kitchen matchbox, standing on its end. Leave the drawer open a half-inch or so at the top, your child can drop "letters" in.

Shrubs: Cotton balls painted green make good shrubs and so do bunches of cotton-swab ends -- particularly if you tug gently on the cotton to stretch it out and then spread it into clumps. Both kinds will probably need modeling clay bases.

For more fun, create roads with tape or chalk. Children can use toy cars and trucks to drive around their special "neighborhood."

Modeling Dough Recipe

Materials:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup of water
• A few drops of food coloring (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oil

Directions:

• Mix the flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a small bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the liquids. Use the food coloring to mix your own colors.
• Combine the two mixtures and cook on medium to low heat, stirring until the combination is the consistency of mashed potatoes.
• When the mixture is cool, knead it a little. Store in a covered container.

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