Creating fun experiences for children doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult. I love to involve my children in experiences with recycled materials or in helping us to upcycle items we find that might look like rubbish but in fact can provide hours of fun with just a little effort.
I believe that introducing the concept of sustainability in play and in their day to day environment is one of the most important learning opportunities you can provide for children in today’s busy and often throw away society.
I know it can sometimes seem a little daunting though which is why I have collected some ideas and inspiration for you below. Some of the resources and activities require a little more preparation than others but there are plenty of quick and easy ideas too.
There is fun for both indoor and outdoor play…I hope you have fun exploring!
1. Explore some sensory fun with Bubble Wrap & Cardboard Rolls
2. Make your own musical shakers
3. Build a Bus…or Train…or Plane!
4. Get busy with old Deodorant Bottles
5. Dye and Thread with egg cartons
6. Use eggshells for craft and sensory fun
7. Make a musical ‘tree’
8. Use pallet wood for block play
9. Use more pallet wood to build a sand kitchen
10. Use even more pallet wood to make a kid’s garden
11. Make a plastic bottle bell
12. Build a seesaw
13. Recycle baby food jars for some fine motor fun
14. Use op shop potato mashers for stamping fun
15. If you’re handy with pallet timber….why not build an outdoor cafe?
16. Or some outdoor scales for the sandpit
17. Build a teepee with fallen tree branches
18. Use spice jars to challenge toddler fine motor skills
19. Turn plastic bottles into painting tools
20. Recycle some cardboard to make a name or two
21. Gather your baskets for sorting fun
22. Cardboard rolls make perfect first threading tools
23. As do egg cartons and straws
24. More sensory fun with beautiful bubblewrap!
25. Explore and create with recycled items from the toolshed
26. Use some jars to create a glowing keepsake
27. Explore the many possibilities of wooden planks
28. Use tin cans to make some music outside
Some great ideas Jode. I love the outdoor cafe from the pallets – very clever! Sharing 🙂
Thanks for sharing Nichole 🙂 The outdoor cafe is very popular and gets used for so many different things now!
So many fab ideas! Pinned and shared 🙂
Thanks Kylie xx
I have a soft spot for pallets anyway – so you’ve got me there! 😉
It’s hard not to love the humble pallet isn’t it!!
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I want to live at your house!!
Ah yes, think of the fun we would have Jo! And I guess the kids would too 😉
So many fantastic ideas.
Wow, wow, wow! So many fantastic ideas. I could use this post like a check list! 😀
My partner and I stumbled over here by a different web page and thought I may as well check things out.
I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to going over your
web page again.
Great ideas! Me and my kids started talking about recycling recently and here are nice projects for us to make. Also recycling and creating is a good reason to spend some more time together. Thank you for sharing!