Recycle Project with Your Baby and Toddler

Recycle Mission

A new look at junk, or change the world, one bit at a time…

How to Start?

Starting with the basics is a great way to teach your child fun recycling projects.

Must do’s:

The first step in teaching your baby and toddler about recycling is explaining to them why we should recycle.
Teach your toddler that the earth is their home, and that it therefore deserves their care and respect.
Tell your toddler 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.

It is important to identify the 3 R’s for your toddler so that he/she can distinguish 3 key ways to reduce his/her ecological footprint, that is, his/her 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.
Plus, giving things in good condition that you no longer need to charity is another good way to reuse things like outgrown clothing or toys. Reusing is often the best way to save resources.
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

Shop wisely to save resources. Can the container be easily recycled or reused? Will a larger container reduce the amount of packaging and perhaps cost less per serving? Is everything that can be recycled being recycled?

Save resources *plus money* by asking yourself if the item is something you really need, and if it is well suited for the task, and if it will last. Not only can this save you money, it can save you space and work, too. 5 toys that are loved an played with are more fun than 10 toys that are broken or are boring to play with. And it’s quicker to pick up 5 toys and put them away than to pick up 10.

A house with no room left for us but only loaded with everything we “liked” really doesn’t sound like that much fun, even to my kiddies.

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Sneak peek of our Recycle Week project:

Recycling Project
Recycle Project begin~

Recycling Kiddies
Just can’t wait any longer

Recycling Stuff Recycle Mission
Homemade Recycle Logo’s by using Stencil Art method (print on paper, trace on plastic card & cut)

KiruaMi-cHan: Painting his favorite logo!

ReiHi-cHan: Enjoying her “green” moment~

YunaFi-cHan: Eager to paint together~

YunaFi-cHan and PaPa
Please asked PaPa, why~

Recycling Project
Let ‘em dry!

Recycling Project
Cut, cut, cut~

Recycling Stuff
Preparation~

Recycling Stuff
Recyclable items~

Recycling Boxes
It took me 3 days to finish wrapped those boxes *oh, busy day* (1 box per day)

Us ^_-
Tadaa~

KiruaMi-cHan: Glue, glue, glue…

ReiHi-cHan: Sticky sticks~

YunaFi-cHan: Oh, my glue!

Recycling Project
Put & stick ‘em kiddies! Please take your turn *good job*

Recycling Kiddies
Our beloved kiddies posing with their recycle boxes

Recycling Kiddies
YunaFi-cHan: I love it!

Recycle - Orange Box
Orange box~

Recycle - Blue Box
Blue box~

Recycle - Brown Box
Brown box~

Recycling Kiddies
Happy moment~

We had our “Recycle Game“. You may simply watch our homemade videos too.
p/s: please ignore my coughing voice. Thank you

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Step by step guide:

Step 1:
Guide your toddler to recognize the recycling logo on products and their packaging.
Show your child which household items are recyclable by pointing out the recycling symbol and corresponding number on the bottom of the container. *my kiddies love “Spot-the-Recycle-logo” games*
Encourage him/her to recycle these marked containers, as well as paper, magazines, cans, cardboard tubes and other items.
The logo is three arrows bent to form a revolving triangle.
It is usually placed on the bottom or sides of packages.
Plastics will have a number located in the middle of the triangle.
These numbers will range from 1 to 7. The higher the number, the harder it is to recycle.

Step 2:
Thoroughly clean the recyclable item. Remove any labels, if you can.
Rinsing them out is very important.
It keeps pests, such as rats, mice and cockroach out of the dumpsters.

Step 3:
Once the items are cleaned and separated, you can either place them on the curb (that is, if you have curbside recycling) or take them to your local drop off centers. *we still collecting our recycle stuff and our kiddies just can’t wait to send ‘em*
Remember that window glass is not the same as commercial glass used for food.
Also remember that cardboard and paperboard are not the same. Paperboard is what is used for small packages, like toys, cereal or cake mixes. Some places like for you to take the slick paper inserts out of your newspapers before you bundle them.

Step 4:
Assign your toddler the task of reminding family members to switch off lights to save energy when they leave a room.
Teach your child about the importance of saving energy by using florescent light bulbs instead of incandescent ones.

Step 5:
Encourage your toddlers to ride their bikes or walk (together with you) instead of driving them to a destination. This promotes the importance of physical activity, while at the same time reducing the emissions that pollute the environment.

Notes:

You don’t need to spend a lot of time teaching toddlers how to be eco-friendly when reducing energy, reusing resources and recycling are a part of everyday life in your household. Your toddlers will see you living your environmental message and will want to follow your example.
Get boxes and crates to carry your recyclables in. Wait till they get full and make one trip.
Always wash your items with water. It eliminates odor and the possibility of drawing insects or rodents.
Be careful when recycling glass. If something breaks, you don’t want to get cut.
Be careful when carrying your toxic chemicals to the drop off sites. Prevent spills when you can.

Recycle Mission

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Recycling Activities for Toddlers:

A fun starter recycle project for toddlers is separating paper and cardboard waste at home from plastics and metals.
These should be carefully divided and placed into appropriately labeled bins.
For example, green plastics should be placed in one bin and white plastics in another; glass products should also be separated according to color. You can also use paper to make fun recycled paper crafts.

Organizing a nature walk through the neighborhood or through a local park is another great way to get toddlers involved in recycling.
You can accompany your toddler and guide them in identifying and picking up recyclable litter to clean up; this event can be scheduled to celebrate Earth Day, or any time throughout the year, as the weather permits.

Composting is another fun recycle project for toddler, which helps to reduce outdoor household waste.
Toddlers 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. *we’re looking forward to do this soon!*

Happy recycling mommies!

May Allah swt always blessed your tremendous hardwork. Amin~

*gambatte ne*

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