Involving children, parents and staff in recycling

 We all agree that our earth needs saving and it is our collective responsibility to do so.

It is a life lesson we can teach children starting from when they are very young.

So staff …

 In these recessionary times, think outside the box in relation to natural materials for play.
 They are all around us if we look using all our senses as we encourage children to do

• Engage with parents in all the wonders of junk play – take photos, request items, invite parents in to share these experiences, learn from parents experiences
• Get involved in composting at your service. The compost can then be used for gardening projects with the children
• Include recycling planning as a topic in your short and medium term planning, linking it to Aistear and Siolta themes
• Remember little and often is best with small children who are still trying to make sense of their world and their part within it, so keep it simple and age appropriate.
• Link with science, geography, food and care of animals themes

   

For children…

• Encourage the children to find new uses for reusable items. Their ideas will be inspiring
• Encourage the children to be aware of energy and water saving through simple lesson like turning off the tap and the lights
• Ensure bins are all clearly labelled and give examples with pictures so children know what goes where, and the older children can help the younger children if they are unsure

   

And parents …

 You can engage in many of the above suggestions with your child at home

• Also send in your yoghurt cartons, old papers, fabrics, bottle tops etc.,to your service
• Think up ideas you can share with your early years service on activities they can try out
• Extend the learning for your child at home by following the themes from your creche
• If you compost at home, share that experience with your child and with your child’s crèche
• Show children when they are old enough to understand the recycle symbol. Bring them with you when you are putting out the bins
• Show them what a landfill site looks like

In doing this we give children the tools and knowledge that they need for their future world.

“We do not inherit the world from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” -Native American Proverb – Tribe Unknown

* Thank you to Naionra Cois Ba  in Bayside for the photographs of their fabulous recycled art.

The children of Naionra Cois Ba in Bayside quickly embraced the concept of re-cycling in the pre-school. The children began to think about how they might use everyday materials to creatively represent their experiences. Each day after lunch children were involved in washing out containers and bottles that they would later use. Empty boxes were suddenly seen as treasure! The practitioners supported children by documenting their words and displaying their wonderful creations.