Teaching Children About Recycling

During this month Kindergarten students will learn about the thematic activity ‘Recycling’.

Not only will they learn the importance of recycling, they will also use recycled materials to make art and craft projects.

Recycling is an excellent way to teach your kids about environmental awareness and understanding. It also teaches children about the importance of respecting their environment. Because the environment is central to children’s health and development, it is best to introduce kids recycle projects when your child is still young so that she can build life-long, environmentally-friendly habits early on.

How To Teach Kids to Recycle?

The first step in teaching your children about recycling is explaining to them why we should recycle. Teach your children that the earth is their home, and that it therefore deserves their care and respect. Also, teach your child that there is a strong interconnectedness and interdependence between humans and the environment and that their daily actions can affect the earth in either a positive or negative way.

Starting with the basics is a great way to teach your child fun recycling projects. It is important to identify the three R’s for your child so that he can distinguish three key ways to reduce his ecological footprint, that is, his impact on the environment:

reduce: this means cutting back on the amount of waste used in everyday life. For example, reduce waste by teaching kids to use canvas bags at the grocery store instead of plastic bags.

reuse: reuse an existing item in your household in order to minimize waste. For example, reuse gift bags to cut down on paper waste or decorate cans or jars with stickers or glitter to create a unique pencil holder.

recycle: recycling means when an object can be shredded, melted, or processed in order to create new raw materials; for instance, an aluminum can is used to create more cans while paper and cardboard can be recycled in order to generate more paper products

In addition, implementing a community recycling program is a great way to get kids involved in learning about the environment. These programs are also in place at several schools; if your children’s school does not have such a program, become involved in establishing one by attending a parent’s night or by talking to your child’s teacher or principal. Kids can participate in these programs with their schoolmates and learn about the importance of community in creating a healthy environment.

Composting is another fun recycle project for kids, which helps to reduce outdoor household waste. Kids can help to compost yard waste and vegetable scraps. When items are sufficiently composted, they can get their hands dirty by helping to distribute composted materials in your garden, as compost makes excellent fertilizer.

Happy recycling!