Kids getting bored? Here are six clever recycled craft ideas for kids to do at home using the contents of your recycling bin!
If you are running out of things to keep your kids occupied then I’ve got some great, free recycled craft ideas for kids made from the contents of your recycling bin for your kids to tackle.
All the crafts are super fun and great for nursery school-aged kids and up. In saying that, adult supervision and in some cases, help, is definitely required.
6 Recycled Craft Ideas For Kids To Do At Home
Here are the six recycled craft ideas for you and your kids to try out:
1. Tin Can Telephone Craft
The old favourite! This craft needs a fair bit of help from adults but is great fun.
Wash out two tin cans that ideally have been opened with a smooth edge tin can opener to avoid any sharp edges. If that’s not possible, you can cover the edge with tape to make it safe. Then use a nail and hammer to make a hole in the bottom. Tie a long bit of string between the two (with the knot on the inside of the can) and start talking.
Image via Made By Joel
2. Recycled Tin Can Stilts Craft For Kids
Sticking with cans for the moment, they also make great stilts. Larger tins are best for older kids if you have them, otherwise, stick to small cans for littler people. Again, an adult is needed here for this particular kid’s craft idea.
To make tin can stilts, use a nail and hammer to make two holes on the bottom edge. Then tie a loop of string through for your kids to hold on to. The decoration is then all down to your kids.
Image via The Mud Pie Makers
3. Crafty Toilet Roll Owls
Empty toilet roll tubes make great owls and are a simple craft idea that kids will love to make at home.
Simply push two edges of the toilet roll tube together at one end to make the ears and then grab a pen and start colouring. Alternatively, if you have some coloured paper from an old magazine, your kids can start cutting and sticking. You can even hang them up afterwards with some string to make a lovely display!
Image via Sew Gorgeous
4. Plastic Bottle Bowling
If you happen to have a couple of plastic bottles in your recycling (I like a bit of sparkling water now and again – a guilty pleasure – so often have a plastic bottle kicking about in the recycling bin) then collect them up to make your own recycled bowling set.
Kids can decorate the outside of the bottles however they like. Another fun way to decorate them is to squirt a bit of paint inside, screw the lid on tight, and then get your kids to shake it until the inside is completely coated. When they’re done, line them up and use a light ball as your bowl. Striiiiiike!
5. Crafty Bottle Cap Memory Game
For this craft idea for kids, you’ll need quite a collection of identical bottle caps for this game.
Inside each bottle cap stick a bit of paper with a number on it, or a small picture (as long as you have a duplicate). Use each number/image twice and then lay them out neatly. You turn over two each go, and the aim of the game is to pick two of the same. When you’ve picked a pair, take them out of the game and keep on going. The person with the most pairs at the end wins.
Image via Crafty Beats
6. Recycled Tin Can Drums
Back to the tin cans with this other old kids’ craft favourite. This time, a drum, made from a tin can and a balloon. You can add some stale rice into the mix too if you’re in the market for a headache, or if you’ve got a babysitter/grandparents coming around!
To make, simply add a handful of rice or lentils to your empty can. Tape the end of the tin if it’s sharp. Next cut the end off the balloon and then stretch this over the top of your can. Then secure it in place with an elastic band and you’re done.
How to make noise with it? Some chopsticks or skewers will make good drumsticks. However, you might want to cover the ends of the sticks with large balls of plasticine to stop them from poking their eyes.
Image via Mini Eco
What are your favourite recycled craft ideas for kids? I also have some more eco-friendly crafts – try this fun statement necklace made from old buttons or this cushion cover made from an old jumper.
Happy crafting!
Interesting. funny and educative! Really more than great! It’s really important for me to learn my little girls how to be responsible for the environment. I think that the best way is to teach them as they are playing and making creative things! Thank you for sharing!
It’s funny, I used to think the tin can telephone was just an old trope that people put in movies and didn’t actually work in reality, until I made one just for fun for my kids. It’s so neat and so fun – until the string snaps, of course ;)
Some great ideas here in light of the covid-19 lockdown in the UK. I forgot about the stilts, used to love those as a kid!
Wonderful ideas to do for those household stuff that are no longer useful. Thank you for sharing articles like this.