Upcycling Crafts for Children
Upcycling, in my opinion, is the best way to craft no matter you age! Yes, it is fun as an adult, but why not let your kids give it a go, too! Upcycling crafts for children allow them to learn about sustainability and environmental health, but also allow their wild, creative imaginations soar. Set aside rinsed out containers, paper scraps, cardboard materials and more to create the ideal sustainable craft box for your kids! Here are some easy DIY upcycling crafts that are perfect for your kids!
TP Tube Toys
Don’t throw out those cardboard toilet paper tubes! Give them to your kids to recreate into any creature they desire. Kids can use felt, markers, glitter, googly eyes and other craft supplies to make a dog, monster, or superhero out of the TP tube.
Yogurt Container Planters
These planters are so easy to create and are super kid-friendly! Wash used yogurt containers and remove the labels. Let your kids have fun decorating the outside of them. When the containers have dried, allow your children to plant a small plant in the container to keep on their windowsill and watch grow!
Water Bottle Fairy House
Create fairy houses for your family garden or potted plants! Cut the tops off used water bottles. Shorten the lower half of the bottle and fray the edges of the top. Glue the top back onto the shortened bottom of the water bottle. Cut out a hole for a door and curl the frayed edges up so it looks like a roof. Allow your children to decorate them and place them in your garden!
Paper Towel Tube Rain Maker
Let your kids decorate old paper towel tubes how they please! After, over one end on the tube with a small piece of paper towel and fasten down with a rubber band. Fill the tube with small pebbles, dried beans, or rice. Then close the other end with another piece of paper towel and a rubber band. Let your kids make some noise once everything is secure!
By: Meghan Lindstrom, published 3.21.2020
Meghan interned with Keep Smyrna Beautiful during the summer of 2019. She studied Mass Communication and English at Georgia College, while staying heavily involved in Greek life on campus as a Phi Mu. Meghan tries to keep her community green and clean by staying actively sustainable in her daily life. Her favorite ways to do this are utilizing reusable straws and shopping bags, as well as reusing containers for storage. Follow her in her sustainability journey to learn new tips and tricks on how to make the place we live in flourish once again.