Ideas for upcycling before you are recycling. 34 recycled kids crafts & activities!
I don’t think its possible to be a hands on mom without saving anything and everything imaginable. Ever since I started doing crafts and activities with Henry, we’ve been hoarding recyclables. Henry actually has his own ‘recycling center’ now.
So, what is worth saving? What can be upcycled and put to good use for the kids?
I’ve come up with a list of 34 items to reuse that tend to be in your recycling bin. Try setting them aside before taking them out to be recycled.
What can this recyclable become? What can it be upcycled into?
A collection of 34 Recycled Kids Crafts and Activities to reuse what you already have, instead of buying something new.
Believe me though, its not just limited to these! I’m collecting more and more ways to upcycle your recyclables on Pinterest. Its never ending.
|
|
|
 |
 |
| Milk Jugs Jug Toss Creative Connections for Kids |
Water Bottle Big Bubbles Projects for Preschoolers |
 |
 |
| #6 Plastic Shrinky Dinks Creative with Kids |
Newspaper Structures Frugal Family Fun Blog |
 |
 |
| Paper Towel Tube Hot Glue Prints Creative Jewish Mom |
Toilet Paper Tubes Choo Choo Train Homeschool Creations |
 |
 |
| Plastic Bottle Caps Stamps A Little Learning for Two |
Magazines Itsy Bitsy Spider My Creative Family |
 |
 |
| Cereal Box: Puzzles Centers & Circle Time |
Baby Wipe Containers Giant Flip Flops Having Fun at Home |
 |
 |
| Baby Food Jars Baby Play |
Baby Food Containers Homemade Blocks: The Nature of Grace |
 |
 |
| Tissue Box Tie Shoe Strings Adventures at Home |
Upright Tissue Box Fabric Scrap Toy My Silly Little Life |
 |
 |
| Foam Tray Weaving Play Create Explore |
Oatmeal Container Fine Motor Activity Merriment Design (more: 30 Fine Motor Activities) |
 |
 |
| Metal Lids Magnet Play Sense of Wonder |
Tin Cans Wind Chimes (more: 26 tin can ideas) |
 |
 |
| Paper/Fabric Tube Marble Run A Little Learning for Two |
Cornstarch Peanuts Sculpture with Water Pink and Green Mama |
 |
 |
| Styrofoam Hammering |
Packing Peanuts Structures Creativity My Passion |
 |
 |
| Egg Carton Flower Craft Kitchen Counter Chronicles |
Milk Carton Bus Craft Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas |
 |
 |
| Glass Jar Lantern Adventures at Home |
Plastic Jar Firefly Jar Come Together Kids |
 |
 |
| Bubble Wrap Printing |
Cardboard Box DIY Sled: JDaniel4’s Mom |
 |
 |
| Yogurt Containers Counting with Cups Teach Mama |
CD or DVD Hovercraft The Chocolate Muffin Tree |
 |
 |
| Paper Bag Guessing Game Amy’s Cooking Adventures |
Plastic Bag Kite Mama Smiles |
 |
 |
| Tissue Paper Busy Baby Play |
Shredded Paper Sensory Tub Counting Coconuts |
And there’s so much to do with an assortment of recyclables.
- Inspiration Sounds Creativity Abounds: Play with Recyclables
- Inspiration Sounds Creativity Abounds: Junk Collage
- NurtureStore: Junk Model Marble Run
- NurtureStore: Junk Model Robot
- The Imagination Tree: Junk Box and Tubes Free Play
- and Tinkerlab has a lot of Creative Challenges that often use recycled items!
Don’t forget my Pinterest Board with more ways to upcycle your recyclables!
Art : DIY Upcycled Crayons
9 Hands on Ways to be Earth-Friendly
Encourage Kids to Be Green: 10 Recycled Art Projects for Kids
15 Recycling Activities for Kids That Are Completely FREE
It’s Playtime! Love the Earth
Black Widow says
February 18, 2017 at 12:58 amPeople are so creative!
Rubbish into fun says
January 9, 2017 at 3:40 amSo many green, fun projects, can’t decide which one is my favourite! It is with such creative activities and initiatives that we should raise our kids into respecting the environment and not taking it for granted.
Chloe Dawson says
September 25, 2015 at 9:56 amThese are great ideas! My daughters and I were talking about recycling recently and these are good projects to make and to spend some nice time together. Thanks for the inspiration!
Patricia Bends says
August 18, 2015 at 2:07 amKids really love upcycled items, be it a toy or a lamp. My observation shows that upcycling educates children in the right time on questions like fighting waste and preserving new resources. Recently I found another big list filled with upcycling ideas and projects, you can give it a try, it might inspire you for another upcycling goodie!
http://rubbishbegone.co.uk/blog/28-fun-trash-to-treasure-ideas-for-creative-art-a-fun-way-of-looking-at-serious-crafts/
ohhdaave OG says
April 23, 2013 at 5:50 ambrill
Jessica says
January 20, 2013 at 11:48 amI like the layout you set up. Way more user-friendly than the many lists I’ve come across where all of the images are massed together with a long list of links below..making it hard to tell what goes with what. Please keep this improved format and tell your fellow Bloggers about it!
Kristin @ Sense of Wonder says
February 27, 2012 at 6:55 pmThanks so much for featuring our metal lid magnet tub! This is a great list
JDaniel4's Mom says
February 17, 2012 at 10:07 pmWhat wonderful ideas! I love all the ways people came up with to recycle.
Kathy @ MerrimentDesign.com says
February 16, 2012 at 8:33 pmThanks for including my oatmeal container activity! Also for introducing me to your blog because it's new to me – am now following on twitter and pinterest :)
maggy, red ted art says
February 16, 2012 at 6:57 pmNothing quite like crafting with recyclables! LOVE IT!
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
Gail Terp says
February 16, 2012 at 1:20 pmOutstanding ideas – I look forward to trying some. Thanks!
Amy's Cooking Adventures says
February 16, 2012 at 5:50 amThanks for sharing my paper bag activity! What a fun group of activities for kids!
Kristina says
February 16, 2012 at 4:09 amSaw this and thought of our can discussion… http://ohhappyday.com/2012/02/mini-cakes-diy/
Wouldn't it be fun and yummy to re-use some cans this way?
Great round up!! Will need to spend some time pinning this weekend.
Jamie @ hands on : as we grow says
February 15, 2012 at 6:59 pmDorothy! — that is one brilliant idea you have! I'm so saving my milk jugs for that! I think the Sunny D jugs would be the best – they're square and seem sturdier. Love that idea. Really really do!
Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says
February 15, 2012 at 4:50 pmThanks for the feature of our CD hovercraft! We had so much fun with that and need to revisit it again soon! Thanks for the great round up—-as always!
Esther says
February 15, 2012 at 2:57 pmWonderful Collection of upcycled crafts! Thanks for featuring our packing peanut sculpture
Dorothy says
February 15, 2012 at 2:39 pmThis was great! I'd like to add- I like to take two milk/juice cartons and cut the tops off. I jam one inside the other open end to open end to make a closed block. After a while you amass a large enough collection for a set of building blocks. If you are really ambitious I suppose you could decopage or contact paper them.
Kim @ The Educators Spin On It says
February 15, 2012 at 2:03 pmSo glad to know I'm not the only one recreating things from our recycle bin… we made some fun Drums recently from ours. http://www.theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2012/01/baby-time-lets-make-music.html
Kristi @ Creative Connections for Kids says
February 15, 2012 at 1:54 pmThanks for sharing our milk jug toss! Love this round-up. I find myself using more and more recyclables all of the time. :)
Cerys @ Rainy Day Mum says
February 15, 2012 at 8:40 amWhat a great list of ideas – we have the recycling centre as well for J – it's growing with everything that he thinks he could make something with.
OneMommy says
February 15, 2012 at 1:12 amWhat an assortment of great ideas!
Terri Thompson says
February 14, 2012 at 11:55 pmGreat list!!