Items to have in for preschool craft projects

[Loreleii]

Hi All,
My baby has just started nursery and we've been asked to do a craft project with old spice jars. I'm kicking myself, thinking I could have kept some empty spice jars instead of recycling them.
My question is, what random bits of recycling, food packaging etc are going to come in handy for craft projects over the next few years? Is there anything else that it will be handy to have in for these kind of projects? Thanks everyone.

My Mum always kept a craft cupboard and so did I until the DC hit around 14 (still have some bits).
Depending on room I recommend plain white T shirts (get huge ones) and sharpies in a variety of colours, cereal boxes, roll of plain white paper, glitter glue, tissue paper and wooden spoons, PVA glue, double sided tape.
That covered us for all of Primary and a few years of secondary (until they dropped Drama) and did for everything from Wear Spots to a Fairy puppet with 1 days notice

Don't know if everywhere has them- but locally we have a "store" of all sorts of bits for craft projects. Schools and members of the public can go and fill a basket of bits for a £5. Great for craft sessions.

I’m confused… How can a baby craft beyond maybe some finger painting and don’t the preschoolers at the nursery do their arts and crafts there using nursery materials? What is a baby doing with old spice jars? Aren’t they glass and a bit dangerous if dropped??

I’ve had 2 kids at 4 different nurseries and never heard of keeping stuff in for craft projects. Or been asked to do anything at home beyond maybe send in a family photo. If the nursery were asking me to do toddler crafts on behalf of a baby that had no clue then I think I’d laugh because it’s so ridiculous, and I definitely wouldn’t be doing it. We of course have basic art supplies- pens, pencils, paints, brushes, stickers and paper because the kids like it as a weekend activity and sometimes my older school age one might have a drawing task as homework but that’s it really and in 7 years I haven’t yet had to dig through the recycling.

I always had an empty shoebox.

Just a thought - can you ask any mums of 12+ kids if they have anything you might take off their hands? I have a whole cupboard under the stairs I would gladly give to a young mum if she asked!

In terms of stuff we keep in rather than bin or recycle

Lolly sticks
Loo roll tubes
Kitchen roll tubes
Glass jars
Plastic tubs like flora tubs
Buttons
Newspapers and magazines

I think I went a bit crazy on sites like Baker Ross. I have those plastic drawers of coloured felt, cardboard, paper, double sided sticky back plastic (good for leaves etc in from walks and put by the window), washable paints, shaving foam and food colouring (lots of fun doing paper marbling with that combo), different types of brushes for little hands, non spill water pots, pom poms, lolly sticks....loads!