March 18th is Global Recycling Day! Teaching our kids to take care of the planet is impactful, because one day, they will be the ones in charge of it.
Recycling helps decrease energy consumption, enhance water and air quality, and helps fight climate change. It can even help save money and natural resources like trees, water, minerals, and fossil fuels.
Caregivers have the power to help change the world by instilling children’s love for the environment!
5 Activities to celebrate Global Recycling Day
1. Crafty kiddos
Break out the yarn, paint, and glue, and participate in a whole family art project.
Instead of throwing away items in the house, try upcycling them! You can turn toilet paper rolls into puppets, telescopes, or dolls with a little bit of creativity and imagination.
Another idea is to decorate old tin cans, then fill them with soil, plant seeds, and watch them slowly grow!
2. Active adventures
Sign up for a local beach clean up or slip on some gloves and take a walk through your neighborhood.
You can make this even more fun by creating a scavenger hunt of items to find: glass, aluminum, paper, hard plastic, and cardboard!
Make sure to supervise this activity so that your little ones don’t pick up anything sharp or dangerous.
3. Sorting games
Arrange your recycling bins in a row and make sure they are clearly labeled. Compete to see how fast everyone can sort bottles, paper, jars, cans, and more!
Or, make recycling into a visual game. Cut a cardboard cereal box into strips, and have your child arrange the pieces to put it back together!
4. Sensory board entertainment
Upcycle materials and show your child textures like rough, smooth, bumpy, and soft.
Directions:
- Start with a large piece of cardboard.
- Cut out shapes into the board and tape different textures to cover the holes (think: crushed tin foil, plastic bags, old dish towels, bubble wrap).
- Put plastic beads on a piece of string and attach it to the board at both ends so your child can slide them back and forth.
- Cut out an old zipper and glue the sides to the board.
- Play and interact with the board!
Take a look around your home and discover what can be upcycled.
5. Music makers
Start a family band with homemade instruments!
- Place bottle caps in a water bottle and seal it tight to make a maraca.
- Secure rubber bands around shoe boxes or tin cans to make a banjo.
- Fill paper towel rolls with rice or beans and tape the ends to make a rain stick.
Make some noise about recycling and let the whole world hear!
6. Podcast party
A great way to learn more about Global Recycling Day is to listen to a podcast designed for kids! In this episode of the Lingokids Stories for Kids podcast, the Lingokids characters discover the purpose of recycling and upcycling.
Tune in and join the adventure to help make the world a better place!
Positive Year-round Recycling Habits
Recycling isn’t just important on Global Recycling Day… your family can practice positive recycling habits year-round.
- Make recycling a daily habit in your home: reduce, reuse, recycle
- Encourage your friends and family to recycle
- Spread awareness by celebrating your recycling projects on social media
Recycling and Lingokids
Interested in learning more about how Lingokids helps teach children about life skills such as recycling and global responsibility? Download the app and check out more content on our YouTube channels!
How do you teach your child about recycling? Let us know by tagging us on social media!
