Recycling Activities for Kids
Get your children or students excited about recycling and learning how to help our environment with these Recycling Activities for Kids.
Through hands-on activities, sorting games and creative reuse projects, kids can learn how everyday materials get a second life.
Teaching children about recycling isn’t just an Earth Day activity – it’s an every day activity!
Be sure to check out our other educational and fun theme-based kid activities!
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These experiences make recycling easier to understand while encouraging responsibility for the planet.
Why You’ll Love Teaching Children About Recycling
Teaching kids about recycling introduces important environmental lessons in a fun and meaningful way, helping them understand how small actions can protect the planet.
- Builds environmental awareness: Kids learn how recycling helps reduce waste and protect natural resources like trees, water and energy.
- Introduces important concepts: Children discover the basics of recycling by learning that materials like paper, plastic, glass and metal can be turned into new products instead of going to landfills.
- Encourages hands-on learning: Activities such as sorting recyclable items or creating projects from reused materials help kids understand recycling in a practical way.
- Builds lifelong habits: Teaching recycling early helps children develop responsible routines like reducing waste and reusing items.
- Makes environmental care empowering: When kids learn they can make a difference through simple actions, they often feel more motivated to help protect the Earth.
By introducing recycling through engaging lessons and activities, kids begin to see how everyday choices can help care for the environment and create a healthier planet.
Recommended Earth Day Books
Enjoy these Earth Day Books that are perfect once your kids are done playing!
The Lorax (Classic Seuss)The Curious GardenDon’t Throw That Away!: A Lift-the-Flap Book about Recycling and ReusingEarth Day, Birthday!
Earth Day: An Alphabet BookThe Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain ForestIt’s Earth Day! (Little Critter)What Does It Mean to Be Green?: A Picture Book about Making Eco Friendly Choices and Saving the Planet!
It’s the perfect way to tie in the holiday to your Earth Day activities!
Recycling Activities for Kids
Use these fun and educational recycling unit study resources in the classroom or your home.
Any time of year is the perfect time to start teaching children about reducing waste and recycling.
Recycling Activities for Kids
Teaching children about recycling helps kids understand how everyday choices can protect the planet.
Activities like sorting materials, reusing items for crafts and exploring creative upcycling projects make learning about recycling both fun and meaningful.
Hands-on ideas encourage kids to see how paper, plastic, glass and cardboard can be reused instead of thrown away.
Recycled Toy Robot Project with Reverse Engineered Toys
Grab some old toys, take them apart and reassemble them into a recycled toy robot.Â
Seed Planters - Recycling Project for Kids
Recycle empty water bottles and toilet paper rolls to start your own garden.
CD Scratch Art
Kids can have loads of fun with old CDs making vibrant Colourful CD Scratch Art. It's a fabulous recycled craft and process art opportunity for kids of all ages.
Make: DIY Toy Cars and Trucks from Scrap Wood
These upcycled DIY scrap wood toy cars and trucks are fun handmade miniatures that kids can help make and decorate for small-world transportation play.
Sort Your Recycling Worksheets
Help your kids learn how to sort recyclables with these sort your recycling worksheets.
Recycled Jar Pencil Holder Earth Day Craft
Make an easy and inexpensive jar pencil holder using an empty glass jar. This will work with any old, empty glass container you have lying around and you’ll have a fun project for your kids or grandkids to help with.Â
How to Make Paper without a Screen at Home!
Ever wonder how paper is recycled or how to make paper without a screen?
Kids will have tons of fun with this paper recycling project and kids will beg to do this recycling paper project over and over again.
Earth Day Recycle Maze
Have fun learning about recycling with this Free Printable Recycling Maze!
STEM Challenge with Recyclables
Dig through the recycling bin and use recycling to encourage your kids to build and explore. This engineering STEM challenge for kids is perfect for Earth Day too!
How To Make A Flower Craft From Recycled Materials
Use the caps off of the water bottles to create a Flower Craft from Recycled Materials.
Recycled Plastic Lid Windchime
Making a wind chime out of recycled materials is a fun project for kids and adults. Using colorful plastic lids that can't go in the recycle bin is a great way to keep them out of the landfill.Â
How to Get Your Kids Excited About Recycling -
Here are a few ways to get your kids excited about recycling.
How to make a DIY Recycled Bird Feeder
Keep one of your milk bottles and turn it into a recycled bird feeder in just a few easy steps.