Create Craft
Using Recycled Materials in an Early Learning Environment
Early learning programmes frequently have a little budget, therefore educators put a lot of effort into locating creative, distinctive, low-cost things to utilise in the classroom. Recycled materials, sometimes known as “found materials,” are accessible, adaptable, and affordable. They can be used as loose parts for building projects and canvases and painting supplies in a range of school activities. Additionally, providing recycled materials to kids gives you a chance to have a conversation with them about sustainability, reducing waste, and reusing valuable items.
The possibilities for what may be rescued and repurposed as classroom supplies actually are unlimited, from plastic containers to cardboard boxes to toilet paper rolls.
Open-ended experiences that promote growth
By giving kids the freedom to experiment and produce original works of art, architecture, and design, recycled materials may stimulate the imagination.
Nancy Howe, the head teacher at Stanford University’s Bing Nursery School, explains how using common objects can help kids build their fundamental maths and scientific abilities. Children can practise sorting, categorising, counting, exploring the idea of parts and wholes, matching, pattern creating, and spatial layout when they are provided a variety of materials. Young children can explore scientific phenomena and the natural sciences using found materials in a fun and developmentally appropriate way.
Howe adds that the use of recycled materials might promote social interaction and language development. Children collaborate and share techniques as they investigate repurposed materials, developing important social skills. Children practise abstract thinking and utilising new words to strengthen thoughts and ideas as they articulate and communicate what they have produced, how it functions, and how they feel about their design.
Resources to Gather and Preserve
Given the restricted storage space in classrooms, it’s crucial to select supplies carefully. evaluate their potential uses, the amount of space they will require in storage, and whether or not they are safe for small children to handle before keeping anything (particular care should be taken by carers dealing with infants and toddlers to evaluate whether items are a choking threat). It helps to be deliberate and thoughtful with goods that are saved, even though this means thinking outside the box.
The following materials can be easily gathered for a wide range of learning possibilities, although this list is by no means exhaustive:
- Rolls of paper towels and toilet paper
- K-cups for Keurig
- Scraps of loose paper
- cardboard boxes and bits
- foam fragments
- used CDs
- Discarded straws
- Paper tissue fragments
- Jars made of glass or plastic (nut butter jars should be avoided due to potential allergies)
- Corks
- ice-pop sticks
- Spools made of ribbon
- fabric remnants
- egg crates
More Project and Activity Ideas
Recycled materials have countless applications. Let your creativity and the creativity of the kids soar as you come up with ideas for exploring, constructing, and creating! You’ll find some creative, entertaining suggestions below:
- Tabletop Loose pieces: Children are given a variety of loose pieces to play with, with no adult guidance. They are merely encouraged to develop and explore the materials!
- Children will get the opportunity to explore the many textures of recycled cardboard by sketching and painting on it using a variety of art supplies. Children can experiment with the way various materials look and feel on the cardboard by using paint, markers, crayons, or even chalk for this exercise.
- recyclable Sensory Bin: Fill a bin with a variety of recyclable materials for kids to explore, stack, touch, and feel. Children will enjoy experiencing the various shapes, weights, and textures of the newly added pieces.