Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

In our Early Years Settings and across the Charity we are understanding our environment and the impact that we have on it.

Our Charity is passionate about developing environmental awareness in Early Years

As we are approaching a climate crisis, it is more important than ever, for us to explain to our children about sustainability from a young age.

Learning through play is a fantastic way to do this, whilst keeping the message positive and simple.

Here are some ideas to help REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Instead of purchasing expensive plastic toys, why not consider buying second hand where appropriate or how about making your own craft supplies where possible.

Playdough is a fantastic example of this. The popular resource for children has huge benefits; it develops fine motor skills & hand eye co-ordination, is calming for children, encourages creativity and it’s great when you make it with your child, as this will support literacy and numeracy.

Recipe for playdough:

1.  2 cups plain flour

2. 1/2 cup salt

3. 4 teaspoons cream of tartar

4. 2 cups of lukewarm water.

5. 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

6. Food colouring optional.

Store in a tin to keep the dough fresher for longer.

Some more recyclable resource ideas

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Scrap resources –

Can enhance a child’s development, with open ended play opportunities, scrap items could encourage deep engagement that requires no fixed end product. Let your child’s imagination run wild; by using scrap material such as cardboard tubes, cereal boxes, cartons, egg boxes, old containers, supports children’s creative and critical thinking. Having open ended resources, loose parts enables children to experiment with different material and be adventurous in their play. Scrap resources supports all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage, whilst also helping to save the planet.

Plastic bottles –

Turn discarded plastic bottles into shakers fill with coloured water, pom poms, rice, ensure the lid is filled securely. Children love to explore the sounds, weight, colours within the reused bottle

Plastic Collage –

using plastic wrappers, milk bottle tops, to create a creature out of card

What you will need:

1. Large piece of cardboard

2. Pen to draw your shape/creature

3. Scissors to cut out your drawing

4. Plastic wrappers/bottle tops

5. PVA Glue

Method

1. On a large piece of card draw a creature from the sea – perhaps a whale to illustrate the impact of single use plastics on the environment

2. Carefully cut this out with scissors

3. Use PVA Glue, stick the plastic on top of the cardboard to make the picture come to life!

Natural resources –

How about taking a walk in Epping Forest or your local green space and collecting some natural resources? Pine cones, leaves, conkers, pebbles, twigs, branches, different types of wood and moss all provide rich learning experiences for children. Providing natural resources for children to play with is a great way to encourage them to explore and discover the natural world around them whilst using their imagination. Plus, they are free!

We hope you enjoyed the ideas, if you have any top tips or would like to join our Climate Change task and finish group please contact helenh@tlpcc.org.uk

1. By encouraging children to respect and care for the world we live in helps them to understand from a young age how precious the world is

2. We don’t have limitless resources so it is important to reduce, reuse, recycle

3. We can all take small steps that together make a difference

www.gov.uk/guidance/climatechange

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