Teaching Kids to Become A+ Recyclers

As parents and teachers, we have an opportunity to model and teach environmentally responsible behavior like recycling to our children early on. To help with this, we’ve created some fun and engaging resources to support your efforts to teach your kids how and why to recycle. Check out these free resources to help your kids become A+ recyclers.

The EPA estimates about 75% of waste in America is recyclable, however, only 30% of it actually gets recycled. Teaching youngsters the value of recycling will help drive those numbers in the right direction.

Games for the Win. Learning is usually more fun if you get to play a game, especially for kids. We offer several fun activities designed to help you teach your kiddos about recycling, including picture and word searches, a coloring sheet, and a trivia game. These tools are available in English and Spanish. Download them here.

At-Home Activities. Recycling Simplified At-Home Learning is a free online resource featuring engaging videos and activities about recycling designed to assist families in keeping learning going while children are staying home from school. Activities are family-friendly, and no teaching experience is required! The program includes videos and fun activities that will keep your child or teen engaged, as well as “learning together” activities that family members can do with children ages 3 to 10.

Classroom Learning. For educators looking for lesson plans and activities about recycling and sustainability for online teaching and at-home assignments, Republic Services has a free online curriculum for pre-K through 12th grades. The downloadable curriculum was written and vetted by teachers and is aligned with grade-level standards. It includes step-by-step lesson plans and supporting materials such as videos, virtual field trips, slides, handouts, and student certificates.

Instilling proper recycling habits in children will help them learn how to be environmentally responsible adults. After all, they are the environmental champions of the future. Using the child-friendly teaching resources on RecyclingSimplified.com will help you as you set out to teach your kids about recycling and protecting our planet.