14 recycled crafts for kids

November 15th is America Recycles Day, a day where we celebrate the small part each and every one of us can do to save the planet and protect future generations. Teaching kids about recycling and the role it can play in reducing waste and increasing sustainability is key to arming them for the future.

We all want to make the world a brighter place so our kids can inhabit it happily in the future. Part of ensuring that future generations will enjoy the same world we know today is practicing sustainability in the home.

Taking the opportunity to teach your child about their role as a global citizen, and the responsibility for the planet that we all share, pays off in the long run. Not just in terms of your child’s individual well-being and education, but in terms of the health, education, and well-being of entire generations to come.

What’s more, the benefits of practicing arts and crafts with your child will cause their fine motor skills, cognitive development, and creativity to soar! So why not take some time over the next week or so to try out one of these recycling crafts with your child? You can give them all the cognitive and physical advantages provided by crafting, while teaching them about everyday sustainability!

America Recycles Day Recycling Crafts for Kids

Bubble Wrap Crocodile

Re-use old bubble wrap to make these adorable crocs your kids will love.Get the instructions from Positively Splendid.

Toilet Paper Roll Rocket

Blast off to the moon with these uncanny little rockets made out of recycled toilet paper rolls. A little red crepe paper makes this craft look as though it’s really taking off! The instructions are available at No Time for Flash Cards.

Jar Lid Mini Banjos

Here’s a craft that brings some music-making into the mix! These tiny banjos from The Craft Train will fit perfectly into little hands so they can strum away. Learn how to make them here.

Tin Can Wind Chimes

These super simple and lovely DIY windchimes from Hands On As We Grow are a practical decorative craft your kids will love making and hearing! The secret ingredient? Some old tin cans. Get the full instructions here.

Soda Bottle Flower Printing

You too can do this fun and engaging sensory painting activity at home, with just some paint, paper, and a few old soda bottles! Kids, especially toddlers, will love seeing how the soda bottle makes a perfect flower print on the paper. Learn more at Inner Child Fun, here.

Egg Carton Pirate Treasure Chest 

Arrr Matey! Send your kids on a treasure hunt through the fridge for empty egg cartons, then turn their findings into a fit receptacle for pirate’s booty. These cute, pirate themed storage containers from Red Ted Art can be easily made at home with instructions found here.

Cereal Box Laptop

Let your child engage in some imaginative pretend play with their own, custom built, pretend laptop! This is a great way to recycle old cereal boxes while stoking your child’s imagination all at once. Get the lowdown on how to make your kid’s dream computer a reality from No Time for Flash Cards, here.

Tin Can Painting Activity

Another super fun sensory painting activity for toddlers and kids of all ages, this tin can painting activity from Toddler Approved makes for some mesmerizing abstract art. Learn how to do it at home with your child here.

Cardboard Dino

If your kid can’t get enough dinosaur in their life, this one is for you. An old cardboard delivery or gift box can be repurposed into a customized dino-friend with these instructions from The Imagination Tree.

Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder

This bird feeder from The Resourceful Mama is super easy to make and hang outside. Your kids will love getting in touch with nature by observing all the different birds that this cute craft will attract to your yard or porch! Find out how to make it here.

Monster Munch Sight Word Game

Get some sight-word learning in with this activity from The Craft Train. You’ll need a cereal box for the body of this hungry monster who wants to devour sight words, and just a few other materials. Learn how to make the monster and do the accompanying sight-word identification activity here.

Floating Boats

This creative craft-starter from Frugal Fun for Boys is, in fact, perfect for kids of any gender. Gather up some clean recyclables and let your kid’s imagination run wild creating their own floating boat from whatever you have on hand. View more tips and tricks on how to create floating water toys from recyclables here.

Homemade Play Doh Molds

Likewise, you can use any recyclables you accumulate around the house, once they’ve been cleaned up in the sink, of course, to enhance your child’s play doh time! The different textures and shapes recyclable containers come in will allow your child to explore different tactile sensory stimuli. Sensory play is vital to kids’ development, and actually helps their brains grow! Get some ideas on how to spruce up sensory play with recyclables from Babble Dabble Do.

Freestyle Sculpture with Recycled Materials

Let your kid’s imagination run wild with recyclable materials, as Tinkerlab suggests. Anything you can collect that would ordinarily go into the recycling bin can be used by your child as a sculpture material! This is a great activity idea for parents who want to teach their kids to really think outside the box. Get tips and suggestions from Tinkerlab, here.

We hope you and your child have tons of fun with recycling crafts after reading this article. If you want to find more craft ideas for kids, and additional parenting tips, hacks, and resources, keep following the Wondrfly blog and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on our newest and most popular blogs!

If you’re looking for arts and crafts classes for your child in the Jersey City or Hoboken Areas, search Wondrfly for the top selection of kids’ activities near you!