How to Teach Kids to Recycle

It is no secret that we are experiencing a severe environmental crisis. Wildlife populations around the world have decreased by 60% in 40 years. Pollution, deforestation, climate change, and other human-induced factors have led us to the worst environmental conditions. Recycling is one of the actions we have at our disposal to do our part and help the health of the planet. It is much easier if we adopt it as a habit to make it a lifestyle, and if we include children, we can help reduce the negative impact of humans on nature.For a child to understand the importance of recycling, it is necessary for them to know that everything they use at school, in their games, for eating, and in general in their daily life comes from raw materials that have been transformed into the items they use every day. This way, they will learn where cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic come from, and later, they will roll into recycling, reusing, and reducing. To encourage recycling, reusing, and reducing in children, we must make it fun, so here are some options to do it with your little ones:Teach them to separate waste. Paint containers in different colors and teach them that depending on the material of the trash, it goes into a specific one: organic, cardboard and paper, cans, plastic, and glass (it is better for an adult to do this) investigate and take it to a recycling center near your home.Reuse waste to build from scraps. With this activity, in addition to helping them recycle, you will also foster their creativity and motor skills.A bowling game with bottles filled with a little gravel or seeds for weight; the ball can be made from paper that is no longer useful.Also, with bottles or containers and gravel, they can make maracas and decorate them creatively.Use the cardboard from cereal boxes, tissue boxes, and even egg cartons to make constructions, from castles to airplanes or whatever you can think of.With the cardboard from paper towels, you can make rain sticks if you put small seeds inside and seal both ends. You can also decorate it.Remember that a child needs to understand the reasons behind things, which is why we recommend explaining the importance of the environment and the repercussions of all our actions so they can develop environmental awareness.