You can read some books aloud to the class, followed by a discussion and craft or activity. The city of Tampa recommends “Compost! Growing Gardens from Your Garbage” by Linda Glaser, "Where Does the Garbage Go?" by Paul Showers and “Follow That Trash! All About Recycling” by Francine Jacobs. Scholastic suggests “Recycle Every Day!” by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace, “The Magic School Bus Gets Recycled” by Anne Capaci and “Recycle That!” by Fay Robinson. Dr. Seuss' “The Lorax” also follows a green theme.
Reusing items for art projects follows the green philosophy and teaches kids how to recycle materials instead of throwing them in the trash and it also cuts down on the cost of art supplies. Plastic containers, fabric scraps, yarn pieces, wooden craft sticks, newspaper, paper scraps and large buttons can be placed into a bin. Pull the supplies out for art time and offer some glue and safety scissors to aid their creative process.
Some materials are recyclable and some are not. You can show your students the number and triangle symbol on packaging materials. The number indicates the material it’s made of and only certain numbers can be recycled. Usually 1 and 2 are accepted, while 4 and 5 are sometimes accepted, but you have to check with your local recycling center to make sure. After the discussion, you could set several items on a pile, such as newspaper, small card board boxes, empty yogurt containers, plastic spoons, napkins and empty milk jugs. Place plastic bins nearby, one for recyclables and one for garbage, and have the kindergarten students separate the items into the correct bins.
You can solidify this earth-friendly topic with a walk outdoors, pointing out nature's creatures, such as birds and butterflies. Gently lifting rocks and branches will reveal little crawling critters, like worms and ants. The children can learn how to place the items back where they were, to avoid damaging the creature's home. A class picnic outdoors is an opportunity to show kindergartners how to toss trash in the appropriate place, so they aren’t littering. As a group, you can plant individual flowers in plastic cups and watch them grow.