Let’s Recycle: A Fun Guide for Kids

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Earth Day is celebrated annually to bring awareness of the importance of caring for our planet. There are various ways you can celebrate Earth Day. One popular way to celebrate Earth Day is by recycling.

There are so many ways to make recycling fun for kids. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned pro, there’s always something cool to learn about our planet. So, let’s dive into this fun recycling guide for kids!

What is Recycling?

Recycling is giving old things a brand-new life. Instead of throwing stuff away, we can turn it into something new that we can use. It’s amazing what things you can recycle. Recycling helps reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfills. 

What Can We Recycle?

• -Paper and Cardboard
• -Plastic Bottles and Containers
• -Glass
• -Metal Cans
• -Clothes and shoes

Fun Ways to Recycle:

Play a fun game: Play games like “RUSH TO RECYCLE” so your kids can learn about recycling. This game helps them learn the different things that can be recycled. This game is perfect for ages 4-8. You can also bring this game to life by having kids find things around the house that are recyclable. Then have them create different categories like glass, paper, and metal.

Free play: Free play is perfect for all ages. Gather different items and let the creativity begin. Gather bottles, toilet paper rolls, paint, and more. See what their minds come up with. Try to encourage functional things like a pencil holder or plant holder. 

Flower arrangements with glass jars: Did you know when you remove the label off some spaghetti jars there are cup measurements? You can also use those glass jars to make a flower vase. Make this project fun by making flower arrangements with your kids. This is also perfect for all ages! Allowing this space for creativity awakens interests. 

Upcycle clothing: This might be more suitable for 6 and up however there are ways toddlers can get involved. For the older ones, recreating jackets by adding different buttons or adding new fabric can be very rewarding. Upcycle fashion is becoming a popular trend. Learning something new together like sewing, is a great way to bond. For your littles, you can get them involved with passing things down to someone else. Let them go through the closet and say what they would like to give away. 

Practice recycling at home: You can find fun activities on Pinterest but Earth Day shouldn’t be the only day you recycle. Add recycling to your daily life. Teach your kids the recycle symbol so they will know when something is recyclable. For example, most cereal boxes will say to recycle the box but not the plastic bag inside. 

BONUS

I recently watched a TV sitcom that was talking about Earth Day in one of its episodes. The main character recycled soda cans and received money for it. At the end of the episode, the main character tells his teacher that he gave his money to a homeless man. He said, “What was the point of saving the planet if we don’t care for the people on it?” Your recycled projects can turn into gifts that brighten someone’s day.