Recyclable Materials Building Challenge

Activity Overview

Using recyclable materials is a good reminder to children that any material can be used to create beautiful work and that we always have the opportunity to reuse materials in our effort to be accountable towards sustainability. Using recyclable materials is also an exercise in balance and stability as the pieces are not uniform in size, which can require the use of critical thinking skills. By challenging the children with materials that are different shapes and sizes, we give them the opportunity to be inspired by the materials in a different way.

What You Need

• Recyclable materials: egg cartons, wine corks, paper towel and toilet paper rolls, cut up cardboard, egg carton, twist ties, gallon jugs, cans (without sharp edges)

• Liquid glue

• A medium-sized paint brush that you don't mind getting glue on

• Large piece of cardboard as base to build upon

Steps

1. Prepare the materials: Cut cardboard pieces into rectangular strips, squares, circles and triangles. Cut up egg cartons into different sized pieces, and follow suit with the other materials.

2. Place the materials in front of the large piece of cardboard so the child can see all the different options.

3. Allow the student to start building, being inspired by whatever comes to them. They can use the glue and brush to stick their pieces together. If they are having trouble getting started, use questions to help inspire them such as “Could we build a structure, or an animal? Or the forest?”

Guiding Questions

• What are you creating?

• What could we do to add more details?

• How could we make this more steady?

• Could we add to this?

Extensions

• Make this a multi-day experience and return to the piece after it is dry. Add paint, and enhance with colored paper, buttons, pom poms, newspaper, and any other materials your student wants to add.

• Have the student reflect on their experience by writing or drawing about it, or record a short video of your student describing their creation.