With more than 20 years' experience in child development and education, Kaye Clemens knows kids.

She also knows what a challenge it can be to find something different to do with a group of youngsters.

Clemens starts a new column today to give parents, teachers and others who work with children ideas of ways to reuse and recycle items that might otherwise be thrown away.

"We have really been a nation of recyclers long before we called it that," Clemens said. "We fed scraps to the chickens and used flour sacks for clothing. We are really an inventive, resourceful people."

As mother of four now grown children, Clemens spent many hours creating diversions for her youngsters. "We would break out the oatmeal boxes and have a great time."

She added that children often enjoy their homemade treasures as much as expensive, store-bought toys.

Clemens owned Cinnamon Bear Day Care in Cape Girardeau from 1984 to 1996. She also worked at Southeast Missouri State University as a child development faculty member. She has also worked at several other child care programs in the city over the years.

In her column Clemens will share her experience and tips about what works. The column will run every other Wednesday in the Southeast Missourian.

This week, in honor of Easter, she gives ideas on ways to reuse egg cartoons, ranging from germinating seeds to making tea party cups and saucers.

In addition to writing, Clemens works part time with a grant program for school-age child care programs through Missouri's education department.