One mom discovered a simple and educational hack for upcycling old toilet paper rolls.

The scoop

TikTok user Mikhaelah (@mikitanna) showed viewers how they could create an easy color-matching game for toddlers using toilet paper rolls. 

The young mother covered the rolls in colored construction paper and glued them onto a recycled piece of cardboard. She then painted popsicle sticks with coordinating colors so her child can place the sticks in the corresponding tubes. 

@mikitanna Make this for your toddler ! You can add some construction paper inside too. It would probably look better 😄 or even write the colors on the tubes . #diy #toddlerdiyactivity #toddlercoloractivities #toddlergames #toddlermom #toddlertok ♬ original sound - Headbangers Dan

"Make this for your toddler!" Mikhaelah wrote in the caption. "You can add some construction paper inside too. It would probably look better. Or even write the colors on the tubes."

How it's helping

All the materials for this DIY project can easily be upcycled from waste around the house. Mikhaelah said she saved toilet paper rolls over a few months to make her game. Since it's summer, this is also a great hack to try if you have a stockpile of used popsicle sticks.

It's always cheaper and convenient to repurpose old containers. In this instance, the hack saves parents money on new toys that their toddlers may quickly outgrow. It also saves new products and used items from reaching landfills. 

Toys are clearly an important part of child development, but they make up 6% of all landfill plastics, according to the Yale Environment Review. Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down. As it sits in landfills, it contributes to heat-trapping air pollution that exacerbates the critical issue of extreme weather events. 

Thus, hacks such as this are important for helping reduce plastic usage. Parents can also search for toys in good condition at secondhand stores. Thrift shopping is another way to save money and divert usable products from the trash. 

What everyone's saying

Commenters appreciated Mikhaelah's trick. Several praised the look of the game. One person shared ideas on how to elevate it. 

"This is so cute. You could add colored pompoms too for a different shape and texture!" they wrote. 
There are many ways to recycle or reuse old products around the house. If you've exhausted new uses for items in your own home, there are resources available to help you declutter.

What do you usually do with your old electronics? Store them at home 📦 Donate them 🙏 Trade them for cash 🤝 Throw them away 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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