Toilet paper rolls have been a hot commodity in my house! BUT, not for the reasons you would be thinking right about now. While toilet tissue is a necessity to every home, the biggest reward is the cardboard roll you get at the end. Who knew? The crafts that can come from toilet rolls are plenty, but I’m sticking to 3 for now.

When I first started to homeschool and stay home with my son, I went bonkers trying to buy every hot item on the market…okay maybe not every, but certainly most. If I didn’t own a Melissa and Doug puzzle or a Learning Resources tool, then the house just wasn’t complete. I truly appreciate the minds who create their products, but we all know that children grow like weeds…literally. At almost the same pace the child is physically growing, so is his brain.

You know what that means? New products and constantly more purchases (just like the clothes!).

I’ll be honest: I love shopping for these things. In fact I’m giddy like a kid in a candy shop when I search for toddler homeschooling supplies, but let’s face reality here. The cost can add up pretty quickly.

In the spirit of being a lot more cost effective, I’ve learned to make use of the things we have lying around the house, visit the 99 cents store pretty frequently or buy general crafty things at Michael’s craft store. Weighed against the cost of the fancy stuff, I save quite a bit. And, here’s the best part: I can always find another use for it if I dig deep enough into my creative side.

Lately, that reusable item has been toilet tissue rolls. To help you get your creative juices flowing, here are 3 ways you can use toilet tissue rolls in fun activities with your little one.

1. RECREATING A CHARACTER FROM A STORY OR AN ANIMAL

Since toilet tissue rolls are paper products, things like glue and paint work really well on them. They are fairly easy to cut and pokes holes in. As a result you can use almost any craft material on them.

Just simple glue, scissors, and a dash of drawing ability for the cutouts will do here.

The whale from Jonas & the Whale

Non-toxic paint, a hole puncher, craft pipe cleaners and pom poms did the trick. Not the best looking, but Aaron go to practice some regular school skills here. That is essentially the goal in every project…that and protection from sheer boredom.

Penguins from the book “Up and Down” by Oliver Jeffers

2. SORTING & COUNTING TOOL

The best use is where you do nothing at all and let the natural essence of which it was designed work its magic. It is an awesome thing that these things have two openings where you can just throw things in and be amazed at how nothing gets lost in there afterwards (aka the simplicity of the mind of a toddler)

See what I mean

3. STRINGING ACTIVITY 

Stringing activities are great for coordination and fine motor skills. Skills, I myself as an adult take for granted. We started with the fancy tool created by Alex Toys where the tip of the string is wooden and easier to use for first timers.

Then we moved on to the homemade stuff. Its nothing fancy, but it reinforced a skill that took a little more effort to complete.

Call it a chain or simple art

Don’t ask me how many toilet paper rolls I had to use to get here nor how long it took to do so, just know that before you throw them out, you should think twice. The same idea can be used with paper towel rolls as well.

Happy Trails!

Normel Smith

Wife to an amazing husband, mother to an exploring toddler and an MPA graduate aspiring to impact the world with encouragement in mothering and in social entrepreneurship.