Bring New Life to Old Toys

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Reduce, reuse, recycle – bring this mantra into your children’s lives and bring new life to old toys with these fun ideas and Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries!

“I want this.  I need that!  Please! Please? Puh-lease?!?!”

Sound familiar?  Holy cow, these kids don’t need anything else.  Walk in our playroom and it’s wall-to-wall toys, trains, trucks, games, Legos, stuffed animals, etc., etc., etc.  So, how frustrating is it when left alone to their own devices, in less than five minutes they’re “soooo bored.”  Really?  REALLY?  Admittedly, it’s a sore spot for me.

Well, I declare… No more toys.  Not until Christmas.  No. Matter. What.  I was afraid that this was going to go over like a lead balloon.  Until I came home the other day to discover my nanny had put fresh batteries in our old Hess trucks.  At first I was appalled.  Those things are loud.  But when I discovered that all three children happily playing together, I decided to put in some ear plugs and let them have at it.

Two weeks later, the Hess trucks are still their favorite toys.  They’re scattered around my house, but they’re a lot easier to spot while walking bare-foot than a Lego, so I’m not gonna complain.

Turns out, they don’t need new toys.  I just needed to put batteries in their old toys.  And in keeping with the mantra that we live by in our house – Reduce, reuse, recycle – we’re using Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries.

Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ is the world’s first AA battery made with 4% recycled batteries and is Energizer’s longest-lasting battery and can be found at the battery center in your local Walmart.

By using longer lasting and reliable batteries, consumers use fewer batteries, create less waste and have less impact on the planet. Plus, it means I don’t have to hear “Mom, I need more batteries” quite as much. EcoAdvanced™ batteries are available in AAA and AA.

Looking for other ways to encourage your children to stop begging for new toys?  Here are a few other suggestions:

1. Donate!  Have your kids fill a box with old toys and take them to a shelter for children in need.  Go online and share with your kids the stories of those less fortunate.  Empowering them to give to others may help them realize how lucky they are and encourage giving instead of getting.
2. Rotate toys.   Have your kids help sort out toys into a set of storage containers, be sure to include some favorites for each month.  Set an agreed upon time frame to swap out toys – two weeks, one month?  I like at least one month, because they get super excited about the count down!
3. Declutter.  I think one of the reasons my kids don’t play with certain toys is because they don’t know they are even there!  Stored in a giant basket, the toys at the bottom are sure to get overlooked!  Toss broken toys, replace “dead” toys with fresh Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries, and set out a old favorites for the kids to play with!
4. Create new excitement.  Have some neglected dinosaur figures?  Watch Walking with Dinosaurs.  Are Cars and Planes toys getting pushed to the side?  Bust out the movies on a rainy day and they’ll remember their love for Mater!

What will you be powering with Energizer® EcoAdvanced™ batteries?  How do you bring new life to old toys?