5 Preschool Activities Using Recycled Materials
Arts and crafts are a favorite for kids, but they can get pricey depending on how often you decide to take on an arts and craft project. One of the easiest ways to stay within your budget, is to use recycled materials for your supplies! Here are ten arts and crafts activities using recycled materials.
Cork Painted Rainbows
Save those corks the next time you open a bottle of wine! They are perfect for painting with. Painting rainbows with corks is the perfect arts and crafts activity. You will need some paper, scissors, paint of all different colors, and a plate or tray to hold to paints. You will first start by cutting the piece of paper into an arc, or the shape of a rainbow. Next step is to place a cork in each of the different paint colors, this will make sure that the paint isn’t getting mixed. And the last step is to paint! You can either let your child paint the colors anywhere on the rainbow or you can direct them to put the colors in order!
Here is a link to this fun activity: https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2014/03/cork-painted-rainbow-craft.html
Discovery Bottles
Now is the time to use that can full of old water bottles! Here is your chance to do something with them before you finally decide to take them to the redemption center. First, you’ll want to gather your materials. You will need empty water bottles, glitter, oil, hot glue gun, shampoo, and a funnel. You’ll start by removing the labels from each of the bottles. Next you’ll add the contents. You will have four different bottles, one filled with glitter, food coloring and shampoo; one filled with glitter, shampoo, food coloring and water; one filled with just water and glitter; and the final one filled with oil, food coloring, water, and glitter. When all of your bottles are filled you will hot glue the tops on. Make sure the adults are the only ones doing this part! You may even want to put some tape around the tops as well. Once they have settled for a few hours they are ready to play with! This is a great color recognition activity!
This link goes through the steps for creating these bottles at home: https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/11/homemade-gift-discovery-bottles.html
Recycled Alphabet
Is your recycle bin filled with scrap paper, magazines and catalogs? Well it’s time to dig them out and put them to use. You can use the letters from the catalogs and magazines to create a recycled alphabet. This craft can be used forever! You will need, one large piece of paper, construction paper scraps, glue, pen, magazines/catalogs, and scissors. Start by cutting the construction paper into squares, they will be used as a frame for each of the letters. Glue these pieces onto the large piece of paper. Count to 26 along the way, it’s good practice for your kids! Next, write the alphabet on the squares. Find each of the letters in the magazines/catalogs and cut them out, you may have to do this if your child needs help. Once you have all 26 letters, glue them on to the corresponding letters you have on the pieces of scrap paper.
Check out this link for more help: https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2010/07/recycled-alphabet-craft.html
Music Shaker
Shake shake shake, let’s make some music out of those toilet paper rolls! Here is what you’ll need: paint, paintbrushes, a toilet paper roll or paper towel roll, some pasta or rice, and some packing or duct tape. Once you have all of your materials start by painting the outside of the roll. You will want this to dry completely before moving on. Cover one end with the tape. Put in the pasta or rice and then tape the other end. And BAM, you have a music shaker!
Read more about it here: https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2008/02/shake-shake-lets-make-music.html
Color Mixing Jars
Time for those extra miscellaneous jars to shine! Color mixing is a fun and simple activity that is great for young kids. It helps to develop the basic understanding that when you mix two colors, a third one will appear. Here are the materials you’ll need: some clear jars or plastic containers, food coloring, water, a turkey baster and a thick place mat or towel under the jars. Start by letting your child use the turkey baster, that way it’s goes over smoothly when doing the actual activity. Next, you’ll add blue and red to two of the jars and the third will have water. Continue adding two colors to two jars with the third just water, you can do this with as many combinations as you would like. Finally, you’ll want to add the two colors to the clear jar and watch as they mix to form a new color!
Check out this link for more information: https://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2008/09/yellow-and-blue-make-green.html
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Little Lukes is a leading Syracuse and Oswego County education provider with five inclusion preschool locations. The early education program includes credentialed and caring staff that specializes in comprehensive infant, toddler and pre-kindergarten development. Additional services include pediatric speech therapy, pediatric physical therapy and pediatric occupational therapy. Preschool locations include Oswego, Baldwinsville (Radisson), Dewitt (East Syracuse), Fulton, and Pulaski.
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