If you have worked in early childhood education for any amount of time, you are most likely familiar with the practice of creating butterflies out of paper towel rolls. Perhaps you have added a large cardboard box to the dramatic play area or made sensory bottles out of recycled plastic bottles. These are common activities in early learning environments and they are a great way to re-use materials that would typically be thrown away. 

However, there are endless possible uses for recycled materials in an early learning environment because children’s imaginations are so rich.  It is important to allow children to engage with recycled materials in open-ended ways.  You may be surprised with the ideas they come up with.

In this month’s newsletter, we will explore the benefits of using recycled materials and ways to collect and organize those materials.  We would love to see how you use these ideas in your learning environment.  Be sure to share pictures on our Facebook page here. 

For the article Why Introduce Recycled Materials, CLICK HERE

For the article Materials to Use in a Recycled Materials Center, CLICK HERE

For the article Collecting Materials, CLICK HERE

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