Saturday, October 22, 2011

Earth Day Recycling Ideas for Kids


NOTE: Children hold the key to a better world.... and it is the responsibility of both parents and teachers to inculcate life's worthwhile values to them. They are our only hope for the future and the solution to making this planet a safer and cleaner home for God's creation. Love them, teach and guide them well to respect and hold in high regard the importance of how everyone, including themselves and loved ones, can be affected by how we treat the environment and others. Make EARTH DAY a daily happening in their lives.
(Greensleeves)



Earth Day occurs each year on April 22nd. It is a day devoted to focusing on the health of our planet and the actions that we still need to take to protect our environment. Kids can actively take part in Earth Day by learning about recycling and the reuse of materials. There are different activities that kids can do to help keep the planet healthy.

School Recycling Center
For Earth Day, kids can work with their teachers to create a recycling center at their school. To make a recycling center, kids can bring large cardboard boxes or bins to their school. They can create labels for each box so people know in which box to recycle paper, glass or metal. The kids can then hang posters around the school to notify everyone of the recycling center. At the end of each school week, kids can help transport the recycled materials from the school to a recycling center.

At-Home Recycling
To get kids interested in Earth Day, have them set up their own recycling boxes in the house. Provide them with a box or two that they can place glasses and jars in. You can teach kids how to rinse out each jar and remove the lid or cap before recycling it. Kids can begin to recycle bottles and jars that they use at home. They can bring home bottles that they find to add to their recycling box. If you have curbside recycling, you can get the kids to organize the bottles in a bin on the curb for recycling pick-up, or you can find the nearest
recycling center.

Recycled Crafts
On Earth Day, kids can learn to make crafts with recycled materials. For example, kids can take an empty cardboard egg carton and turn it into a jewelry box. They can add jewelry items in each compartment. Have kids glue Styrofoam balls in some of the egg compartments. They can then stick earring studs or stick pins into the Styrofoam balls. Kids can also use recycled egg cartons to make a flower garden. Have kids poke a small hole in the bottom of each egg compartment and then fill each compartment about three-quarters of the way full with potting soil. They can add flower seeds to the soil and then water the plants. Place the egg carton in a sunny location, such as on a windowsill.

Earth Day Grocery Bags
Kids can take part in Earth Day by participating in the Earth Day Groceries Project (earthdaybags.org). Teachers borrow paper grocery bags from a local grocery store and then give them to students to decorate. Students create "Earth Day Grocery Bags" by decorating the bags with messages about recycling and protecting the Earth. Students and teachers can return the bags to the grocery store, and then on Earth Day, the grocery store can use the students' decorated bags to pack customers' groceries in. Kids can take part in the Earth Day Groceries Project by contacting their local grocery store and asking the store to team up with their school to create Earth Day bags. Kids can find out more about how to participate in this activity on the Earth Day Groceries Project website.

Source: The above tips were sourced from eHow.com

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