Send a letter to parents announcing a "Classroom Swap." Request that the parents go through their child's toys with the student. Parents can help students make a decision, but emphasize the importance of the children making some of the decisions regarding what toy to choose. Have the student choose one toy he would like to swap and bring it to class on the Classroom Swap day. Arrange the toys nicely in the classroom and let the student's take turns swapping and recycling the toys with one another.
Talk with the principal to arrange a day that the students can pick up trash from the school grounds. Send the students into teams of three to pick up garbage around the school property. If your school has a designated area for recyclables, have the students sort and place the trash in the recycling bin. If it doesn't, create an area for the recyclable trash in the classroom. Then, after school recycle all the trash your class gathered and sorted.
People throw out items every day that students can use for a variety of crafts. Ask that the students bring in reusable items, such as the cardboard from toilet paper rolls, buttons, bottle caps, cork and milk cartons. When you have a large quantity of items to choose from, ask the students to choose objects from the recyclable material and invent some sort of craft from what they choose. Also supply craft supplies like markers, glue and ribbon to aid in the process.
Not all schools offer a way for students to recycle their trash on a daily basis. Set up a recycling center in your classroom for students to use throughout the day. Instead of throwing paper, soda bottles and old pens into the garbage bin, have the students organize it in the recycling bin. This enables the students to begin thinking in the mindset of recycling in their day-to-day lives.