Why Choose Eco-Friendly Crafts?
Crafting with recycled materials has more benefits than just creativity. Other benefits include;
-Repurposing items instead of throwing them away helps to reduce household waste.
-Saving money by using items you already have
-Teaching your grandkids about sustainability
-Encouraging creativity by problem-solving and reuse
-Creating pieces that are one-of-a-kind, just like your grandkids
These kinds of crafts are also a great introduction to upcycling, which means turning unwanted materials into something of a higher value or usefulness.
Materials to Save for Craft Projects
Here are some great things to save for doing crafts with your grandkids.
-Cardboard boxes
-Toilet paper and paper towel rolls
-Glass jars
-Tin cans
-Old clothes
-Old newspapers and magazines
-Scrap fabric
-Bottle caps
-Plastic bottles
-Broken jewelry or buttons
-Leftover string, ribbon, and wrapping paper
Craft Ideas
-Paper Roll Animals
-Toilet Paper Roll Binoculars
-Cardboard Box Robots
-Egg Carton Caterpillars
-Newspaper Hats
-Plastic Bottle Bird Feeders
Tips for Successful Crafting
-Wash and dry materials before use
-Sort items by type so they are easily accessible
-Use safe tools that are age-appropriate
-Consider the item’s durability if you will handle it often.
-Combine materials for a polished look
-Reuse leftovers from one project for another.
Outdoor Clean-Up: Teaching Responsibility for Our Planet
Cleaning up outdoors isn’t just about picking up trash; it’s also a great way to teach your grandkids about taking responsibility for our planet. By taking part in a clean-up effort, kids can see how polluted our highways, parks, sidewalks, and other areas are.
Why Does Outdoor Clean Up Matter?
Litter and waste are signs of environmental neglect. Things like paper wrappers, plastic bottles, and cans may seem like a small issue, but they can lead to more serious problems, such as clogged drains, harm to animals, contamination of our soil and water, and making public places much less enjoyable.
Teaching Responsibility through Action
One of the best ways to teach your grandkids is to let them do some hands-on learning. Outdoor clean-up projects let them take meaningful action. For example, when they pick up trash on their playground, they will learn their choices matter. They will notice how easily and fast trash can pile up and defile a place that should be beautiful and enjoyable for both kids and their parents. This will also develop character traits like accountability, teamwork, respect, empathy, and consistency. There are also many educational benefits, such as expanding vocabulary and learning about unfamiliar concepts like recycling, pollution, conservation, and sustainability by seeing these concepts in action. Some examples of this include:
-Counting and categorizing the trash they collect
-Discussing what is recyclable and non-recyclable
-Researching how litter affects wildlife
The things that kids learn during outdoor clean-up projects can instill habits that last a lifetime.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Westend61
