Kids Crafts That Will Teach Them to be Environmentally Friendly

All kids love crafts—anything hands-on, that they can make themselves and later play with. As parents, we desire to teach our kids about the environment, and how to treat it right; however, it can be difficult to find creative ways to do this. By combining a child’s love for crafts with learning about the environment, you get the best of both worlds.

There are dozens of crafts and craft websites at a parent’s disposal to encourage this environmentally consciousness in children at a young age, but it can be daunting to know where to start and what craft to get to work on first. Here, we share some fun ideas found around the web:



1) The “Hugs 4 Bugs” Recycle Bug Kit

This craft combines nature with an easy way to recycle items found around your home. Children simply need a jar, tweezers, a journal, a pencil and a magnifying glass.

They can use their imagination to draw bugs which they hope to find, or go on a nature walk and draw what they discover in their journal! To incorporate even more recycled items, kids can make a cover for their journal out of items found around the house.

This craft encourages children to go outside and enjoy nature, and by using recycled items, they learn that it is beneficial to reuse things. They will also enjoy creating their journal with recyclable items they find in their homes. Bugs and recycling? What could be better!

2) The Margarine Tub Tug-Boat Craft

Margarine tubs are big and bulky, and after they’ve been emptied, it is difficult to find a second use for them. This fun, kid-approved craft just solved your problem! All they need is a margarine tub, a yogurt container, 2 craft sticks, super glue, duct tape, paint, a rubber band and a plastic lid of some sort. All of the plastic materials used in this craft teach your children about how important it is to recycle! They can even have fun doing it.

3) The Recycled Balloon Bongos

For the inner musician in your child, this craft is the perfect fit! They need some empty, clean tin cans, rice/lentils, balloons, rubber bands and some chopsticks (preferably wooden).

Simply fill the empty cans with your rice or lentils, cover the tops with a balloon, and secure it with a rubber band. Then, let your child beat their bongo drum to their hearts content!

This craft is incredibly simple. As you gather materials, explain to your child that after using the food contents of the can, they can now be recycled and used for something else! This shows your child that recycling can be easy and fun.

Lastly, gift boxes double for a plethora of crafts! One of the most fun uses for gift boxes for a child is simply making a mailbox! Let your child help you decorate the outside of the gift box with paint or stickers, and then set it up for a post office at home. Your child will understand that many things can have dual purposes—the beauty of recycling.

By using fun and creative crafts at home, it becomes easy to teach your child about recycling. When you instill the importance of this in your child at an early age, it is something they will take with them for the rest of their life.



Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer from California whose writing specializes in DIY, health, technology and marketing. Teaching her three children about the importance of recycling is both fun and simple with these craft ideas. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook today!