Is this still the 'done' thing?

[sittinghippo]

I live South East England and my DD has just started pre-school five mornings a week.
Obviously the children do lots of art and craft activities while there, and my DD often brings home a piece or 'art', bottle tops glued to paper etc etc.
I am wondering if it is still normal practice for parents to donate items for art activities, things that I would normally throw away.
For example, I have a carrier bag of odd socks that I am about to throw away, but wonder whether the pre-school would be able to use them for sock puppets or some such.
The pre-school is a well funded Sure Start Centre, and it is many years since I used to toddle off to school with a bag of empty plastic bottles for teacher, so I am not sure if it is still done these days!
Any experience MNers?

Ours always wanted stuff - I don't think many peope save bits and pieces nowadays so they were grateful for anything you took in. The simplest thing to do would be to ask them

Ours always wanted stuff. So we'd take in our own boxes, and get back someone elses, lovingly covered in glitter and sellotape.