Beautiful Stuff!

Exploring with Found Materials

"To a young child, the world is full of materials to touch, discover, and explore. To find, collect, sort, and use materials is to embark on a special kind of adventure. For adults, gathering materials means rediscovering the richness and beauty in natural, unexpected, and recyclable objects that are all around us, but not often noticed." (Weisman Topal & Gandini, 1999)

We strive to nurture a spirit of creation and exploration in our children. This requires the use of innovative and exciting materials, many of which can be found in your homes. Please consider donating some of these items to our program, especially as you celebrate and gather with family this upcoming winter break. Many thanks! Some suggested items include, but are not limited to:

1. buttons

2. fabric scraps

3. water/juice bottle caps

4. metal frozen juice lids

5. detergent/dish soap caps

6. old frames

7. wood scraps

8. feathers

9. pompoms

10. metal odds and ends (e.g., discarded keys)

11. hardware (e.g., nuts, bolts, washers, screws)

12. plastic tubing

13. paper tubes

14. ribbon scraps

15. fronts of used greeting cards

16. cardboard packaging

17. large appliance boxes

18. broken costume jewelry

19. wine bottle corks

20. beads

21. elastics

22. egg cartons

23. plastic hangers

24. interesting stones

25. yarn

26. felt

27. sponge

28. seeds

29. straws

30. cotton balls

31. Q-tips

32. clothespins

33. shells

34. packing peanuts

35. bubble wrap

36. small, plastic containers

37. plastic scoops

38. plastic/metal spoons and forks

39. wallpaper scraps

40. puzzle pieces

41. popsicle sticks

42. marker caps

43. plastic berry baskets

44. large aluminum cans

45. glass baby food jars