Fun Recycling Activities for Kids

Recycling and being green right now is a big deal and a lot of people are moving to make our world a better place. Kids can start to learn about recycling at a young age and the best way to do this is by making recycling activities for kids fun.

My experiences as a classroom teacher and being limited on the finances for the students in my classroom have led me to become pretty resourceful, I believe. My students have always enjoyed recycling activities and through the years I have come across fun recycling activities for kids.

Here are some of my favorite recycling activities for kids that are not only fun but also teach the concept of reusing and reducing.

Recycling Activity for Kids #1: Eggshell Planter

Typically I have done this fun recycling activity for kids a short time before Mother's Day and my students get to give their Mom's a really cute Mother's Day gift. This recycling activity entails an eggshell with the top broken off, add a little soil inside the eggshell and either plant seeds or a small flower and viola there you have an eggshell planter. To hold the eggshell in place, place a bottle cap from a plastic liter bottle underneath the eggshell or sometimes medicine caps work well too.

Recycling Activity for Kids #2: Cotton Ball Tree

This is a really fun and easy recycling activity I did almost every year with my students on Earth day. Simply paint a toilet paper cardboard holder a brown color, glue cotton balls on the top of the toilet paper holder to form a tree top shape and sprinkle heavily with green glitter or the green tempera powder works well too. Sometimes I would have the students place sticker grass and flowers around the bottom of toilet paper holder to give the tree added details. Kids really love this recycling activity and enjoyed taking it home on Earth Day.

Recycling Activity for Kids #3: Laundry Bottle Scoop

This recycling activity for kids takes a little more work but kids really enjoy it and the project is well worth the effort. Cut off the top of a plastic laundry bottle and make sure the laundry bottle is rinsed out well, have kids paint using tempera paints any design they want on the laundry bottle and spray with clear acrylic spray to seal in the paint. In the past, some kids have used the bottle for scooping sand from their sand box so they painted shells and oceans pictures on the bottle, other children have used the bottle for a pet food scoop so they painted bones and fish on the bottle. There are so many ways that kids can use a laundry bottle scoop, with a little time and imagination kids come up with the best ideas.

Sources:

Self-experiences