Simple. Save the caps for your water bottles when you are finished drinking and before you toss that bottle in the recycle bin and turn them into game pieces!
For this example, we are going to be making a Tic Tac Toe game, complete with a printable Tic Tac Toe board!
The best way I have found for my family to remember to save these caps is to put a ziplock baggie on the fridge. The caps are very lightweight, so any decent magnet will do -- ours happens to be Darth Vader holding daisies. I must also note that this doesn't have to be just water bottle caps.... any type of bottle with a drinking cap will work and may even eliminate a step in your game piece creation.
Our bottle caps add up pretty quickly in our home. Our city water has a bit of a funk to it that isn't so good for drinking straight from the tap.
For this specific project, we will need 10 bottle caps.
You will need two different colors of nail polish, preferably very contrasting colors. I prefer to use a good quality nail polish (one I would use on my nails). Chipped game pieces are just as ugly as chipped nails. Today, I have chosen Sephora, by O.P.I. -- my personal favorite nail polish ever!
These are the steps that you may be able to skip. If you have different colors of bottle caps -- say, from different sodas or sports drinks -- you wouldn't have to go through the effort of painting them. This project just got a whole lot simpler for you!
And, if inquiring minds must know, the green color I'm using is called "It's Totally Karma".
The shimmery purply-blue color I am using is called "Here's Lilac-in At You Kid". I'm not sure if my love of these nail polishes is for the vibrant colors or the whitty names. Either way, they make for happy nails and fun game pieces!
And just like naiils... one coat is never enough. Paint 5 pieces each in your 2 chosen colors. I tend to just paint the top. When you start painting on the bumpy sides, your pieces will have more chances to chip and won't last as long.
The second coat makes all the difference!
Now, all we have to do is wait for the paint to dry. Make sure the paint is REALLY dry before giving these to your kids --I take no responsibility for nail polish stains on your carpet or dining table.
Now, we can save the Earth by reusing our tic tac toe board game over and over! I know my kids are constantly going through sheet after sheet of paper playing Tic Tac Toe. You may use the printable Tic Tac Toe board I have provided here for personal use, but please link back and/or ask consent for any other purpose.
Just imagine how many ways you can use these simple manipulatives! I have some more ideas up my sleeve that you will just have to wait for. Until then, hopefully you can enjoy some Tic Tac Toe, or even that game of Sorry you haven't been able to play due to lost pieces.
Have fun and continue saving your Earth! Happy Earth Day!
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