As with all decisions that you make about materials, safety must be your top priority.  Materials should be easy to clean, free of any sharp edges, and pass a choking hazard test.  Some materials that would not be safe for the toddler room could be completely safe for a preschool class.  With that in mind, consider introducing some of the following materials:

• Cardboard shipping boxes
• Cereal/food boxes
• Plastic bottles and lids of various sizes
• Condiment bottles
• Egg cartons
• Popsicle sticks
• Plastic butter containers and lids
• Paper towel rolls
• Shampoo/soap bottles
• Corks
• Coffee sleeves
• Old pots, pans, and utensils
• Newspapers and magazines
• Books with torn pages
• Framing matte board
• Yarn and ribbon
• Gift boxes and wrapping paper
• Fabric and felt scraps
• Scraps of construction paper
• Buttons, beads, and random plastic pieces
• Tiles and stones
• Small crayon pieces – to melt into new crayons!

Here is a Pinterest page dedicated to using the materials listed above that you can scan for ideas that are appropriate for the children in your care.

For the main article Using Recycled Materials in ECE, CLICK HERE

For the article Why Introduce Recycled Materials, CLICK HERE

For the article Collecting Materials, CLICK HERE

For the article Setting up a Recycling Center in the Classroom, CLICK HERE