How about carefully pulling the white lids off and folding the tops in so the carton is a nice rectangular box. Tape it shut and use them for building blocks. They are quiet (!) and easily replaceable if they get beat up.

As to the little white lids, wrap a fabric circle around a cotton ball, glue it in the top so the smooth fabric part is up, and use for a tiny pin cushion. Braid or rickrack can be glued around the edge for a decorative look.

More info on the little pin cushion–look at the Knit-Knac knitting and sewing blog for a photo of one–September 8, 2007 entry. Cute.

Cut the tops off to make them squares, cover in wrapping paper / newspaper / paper with prints on made by the children and use them for pen pots / storing crayons / chalk etc.

Cut the top off and use to plant seeds. -Or- Cut the top off and use to hold crayons.

If the carton is waxed paper, you may be able to compost most of it.

You could also use them for bird houses, Cut out part of a side to make a bird feeder or string them as shades for small lights

i fought dis w3bsit3 was vey int3rw3stin

Oooooh, you absolutely must get each child to paint one to look like a house - then you could thread them all together into a whole street of houses!

Prepare them by washing them out and painting them with white emulsion paint, which can then be painted on by the kids in water-based paints. It’d look great!

Rinse the inside well and let it dry. then use them to store nuts, bolts, or any small items.

You can unfold them so they are a tube and use them as seedling shelters in the school garden and compost them or reuse them after the seedlings have grown sufficiently.

1-cut off top decorate carton thumbtack to wall to store small treasures.
2-save screw top caps for making game pieces
3-make a water game by writing either words or figures on the bottom of each identical carton
put them in a large tub push them around and choose and read you selected carton. You can make up any rules you want for this game.
4.use milk carton to spread salt for and icy sidewalk or spread grass seed for your lawn in the spring.
5-A play thing for your gerbels

Ideas are only thoughts until you make them real
Good Luck !

Maracas -
Place several small stones or beans inside of a milk carton. Cover the carton with paste and a layer of paper. When dry, paint with tempera in bright colors. Into the bottom of the carton push and glue in a red dowel rod for a handle.

My dad used to wash them out and fill them with blueberries or strawberries in the summer. Then he’d freeze them. The berries never had freezer burn and they stacked well in the freezer.

you can take the lids from the cartons, and paint them black and red. You can use them as checker pieces. (You will need 24 of these.)

no one made one suggestion about how she could actually recycle. everyone just suggested cute little art projects for them. is there a way to recycle them beyond making 400 planters, bird houses, ect….

I used them to make “gingerbread” houses when I was a nanny. You can have the kiddos spread frosting on the cartons and then stick graham crackers on top of the icing-then decorate by sticking candies to the crackers. You could certainly use brown contruction paper instead of edibles. Brown sticky felt would be cute too.

wad can you make with tetra paks