Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Three simple concepts to live more lightly upon the earth. The following projects honor Earth Day, a day set aside for us all to think about this planet we call home. They use recycled materials to make something fun, or offer ideas for making the earth a more beautiful place to live. We are never too old or too young to consider our environment and make changes. Sometimes it begins with just one day.
Tee Shirt Pillows
What do you do with outgrown tee shirts hanging around the house? Make a special keepsake out of that old Little League shirt! Not only are they easy to make, but each charming pillow is individualized to your child.
What you will need:
old tee shirts
needle and thread (a sewing machine makes the job easier)
stuffing for the pillow
To make your pillow, turn the tee shirt inside out and sew the bottom, neck and one arm closed. If your child is old enough, this is a simple exercise for learning how to run a sewing machine, or to use a needle and thread (you may have to do this part for younger children). Turn the tee shirt right side out and push the stuffing through the remaining arm hole. Sew the arm closed.
Recycled Rubber Stamps
Use old tire tubes to make these stamps. You can often get the leaky ones free at tire stores.
What you will need:
pieces of rubber inner tube from a bike or car
a small block of wood
rubber cement
stamp pad or felt tip pens
Cut a piece of inner tube the size of your block of wood. Draw something simple on the inner tube piece, then carefully cut the drawing out. Brush rubber cement on the inside of the cut out design (the smooth rubber side must face out), and on the block of wood. Wait a few seconds, then press firmly together. After the glue sets, rub the design with a felt tip pen or use a stamp pad and stamp away!
Make Your Own Super ball
What makes a ball bounce? Save your rubber bands and find out with the construction of your own super ball. Afterwards, use the super ball as a unique way to store rubber bands!
What you will need:
1 jack (from the game of jacks)
rubber bands
Making a bouncy ball is easy! Simply loop, wrap, and twist the rubber bands around the jack until it is completely covered. Continue adding rubber bands until you have a ball the desired size. This is a good eye/hand coordination project for young children, and it can be a slow process. Allow your child time for finding the best method to wrap the rubber bands around the jack.
Make the World More Beautiful
One of our all time favorite books is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. It is a luminous book about contributing to the world, and after much thought and many adventures, Miss Rumphius does this by scattering lupine seeds along the roadsides. It becomes a simple gift of glorious color to everyone each spring and lives on long past Miss Rumphius’ life. Your family can offer the same gift to your community by scattering wild flower seeds along the roads that lead to your home. We save foxglove seeds every autumn from our garden, and spread them in the spring along the margins of our neighborhood. Your child will be reminded of her contribution as the flowers burst into color over the summer.
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Spend an afternoon picking up litter with your child. Wear rubber gloves and bring along 2 heavy duty garbage bags. Use one for garbage, and one for recyclable goods like aluminum cans and bottles. You may be surprised at the items found along the roads! One year we discovered a perfectly good hammer, and a Barbie doll!
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Start a compost. It can be as simple as a small pile in the corner of your yard. Begin with a layer of dirt mixed with yard waste. Save fruit and vegetable peelings in a small plastic bucket under the sink. Empty the bucket of organic waste into the dirt mixture and mix together with a shovel. Add worms (available at many nurseries or perhaps from a friend who has a compost pile). Add another layer of dirt to cap the new mix. In a short time, and with surprising little muss or fuss, you will have a pile of rich dark soil to add to your garden. In the end, you will be doubly blessed with your compost project: plants will grow healthy and vigorous with the addition of compost, and you will reduce the amount of garbage your household generates.
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