UNDERSTANDING the 7 Rs

Understanding the 7 R's

Refuse: This emphasizes the importance of refusing items that we don't need or that are harmful to the environment. By saying no to unnecessary purchases or single-use items, we can reduce waste at the source and minimize our environmental footprint.
Reduce: This involves reducing the amount of waste we generate by consuming less and making mindful choices. By opting for products with minimal packaging, buying in bulk, and avoiding disposable items, we can decrease the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Reuse: Reusing items instead of throwing them away helps extend their lifespan and reduces the need for new products. This can include using reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and containers, as well as finding creative ways to repurpose items for different purposes.
Repair: Repairing items instead of replacing them promotes a culture of sustainability and resourcefulness. By learning basic repair skills or taking broken items to repair shops, we can extend the life of products and reduce waste.
Recycle: Recycling involves collecting and processing materials to create new products. By separating recyclable materials from our waste stream and supporting recycling programs, we can conserve resources and reduce the demand for raw materials.
Rot: Composting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard waste, allows these materials to decompose naturally and return valuable nutrients to the soil. Composting not only reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills but also helps improve soil health and support plant growth.
Resist: This additional "R" encourages us to resist consumerism and unsustainable practices that harm the environment. By advocating for policies that promote sustainability, supporting ethical and eco-friendly businesses, and raising awareness about environmental issues, we can work towards a more sustainable future.

Reuse
Recycling isn’t the only sustainability measure you can encourage. How about reusing? Getting students away from single-use products and towards reusable essentials is another way you can help.

Getting Creative with Reusing
Moving away from the purely practical, recycled materials can also be a creative playground for kids. Whether it’s for collages, sculptures or models, reusing cardboard and plastic from the bins means that kids can experiment to their hearts’ content without their parents spending excessive amounts on new supplies. What better way to impart the message that we don’t need to be fervent consumers to create incredible things for ourselves?

Thinking beyond classic recyclables, challenging kids to transform old fabric into new outfits or embellish a scuffed piece of furniture can trigger the imagination and lead to the development of some handy skills.

Try These!
Refuse:
Activity: Say No to Single-Use
Description: Gather various single-use items such as plastic straws, disposable cups, and paper napkins. Explain to the children why these items are harmful to the environment. Encourage them to decorate reusable alternatives, such as metal straws or cloth napkins, and practice saying no to single-use items.

Reduce:
Activity: Waste-Free Lunch Challenge
Description: Have the children pack a waste-free lunch using reusable containers and water bottles. Discuss the concept of reducing waste by packing only what they need and avoiding excessive packaging. After lunch, examine the contents of their lunchboxes and discuss ways to further reduce waste in their meals. Get families involved to help the children pack the llunch and make it a family engagement event.

Reuse:
Activity: Upcycled Art Project
Description: Provide a variety of materials such as cardboard tubes, scrap paper, bottle caps, and fabric scraps. Encourage the children to use their creativity to transform these items into new creations, such as sculptures, collages, or puppets. Emphasize the importance of reusing materials instead of throwing them away. Or take a field trip to a Thrift store to buy items for your classroom and discuss on why buying second hand is helping the planet.

Repair:
Activity: Toy Repair Workshop
Description: Collect a selection of toys that are in need of minor repairs, such as missing pieces or broken parts. Set up a repair station with child-safe tools like glue, tape, and string. Guide the children in repairing the toys and discuss the importance of fixing things instead of throwing them away.

Recycle:
Activity: Sorting Recycling Game
Description: Create a game where the children sort items into different recycling bins labeled with pictures or words (e.g., paper, plastic, metal). Use a variety of materials such as empty containers, cardboard, and paper. Encourage the children to identify which items can be recycled and which cannot and explain why recycling is important.

Rot:
Activity: Composting Exploration
Description: Set up a small compost bin or pile in the outdoor play area. Invite the children to collect fruit and vegetable scraps from snack time and add them to the compost. Discuss how composting works and why it's beneficial for the environment. Encourage the children to observe the compost over time and note any changes. Provide different materials and have the children sort them into TRASH, RECYCYLE or COMPOST.

Resist:
Activity: Environmental Storytime
Description: Read age-appropriate books or stories that highlight environmental themes, such as protecting wildlife, reducing pollution, or conserving resources. After reading, facilitate a discussion with the children about ways they can help protect the environment and resist harmful practices.

FUN FACT: The average person generates about 4.4 pounds of trash per day, but recycling helps reduce this amount.

Questions/Discussion
Refuse:
Why is it important to say no to single-use items like plastic straws and disposable cups?
What are some alternatives we can use instead of single-use items?
How can saying no to single-use items help protect the environment?

Reduce:
What does it mean to reduce waste?
How can we pack a waste-free lunch using reusable containers and water bottles?
Why is it important to pack only what we need for lunch?

Reuse:
What are some ways we can reuse materials instead of throwing them away?
Can you think of any creative ways to repurpose items like cardboard tubes and scrap paper?
Why is reusing materials important for the environment?

Repair:
Why is it better to repair toys instead of throwing them away?
What tools can we use to fix broken toys?
How does repairing things help reduce waste?

Recycle:
What items can be recycled?
How do we know which recycling bin to put each item in?
Why is it important to recycle materials instead of throwing them away?

Rot:
What is composting and how does it work?
What kinds of things can we put in our compost bin?
Why is composting good for the environment?

Resist:
What are some things we can do to protect the environment?
How can we resist using things that harm the planet?
Why is it important to stand up for the Earth?

FUN FACT: Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees from being cut down.

Family Connection
Host a an Eco-Friendly Family Fun Day offers a fantastic opportunity for families to bond, learn, and make a positive impact on the environment together. By engaging in hands-on activities that align with the "7 R's," families can cultivate a deeper appreciation for sustainability and inspire each other to live more eco-conscious lifestyles.

Refuse:
Family Challenge: Say No to Single-Use
Challenge each family member to identify and refuse at least three single-use items throughout the day, such as plastic straws, disposable utensils, or plastic bags.
Keep track of your progress by tallying the number of single-use items refused by the family as a whole.

Reduce:
Family Challenge: Waste-Free Meal
Plan and prepare a waste-free meal together as a family, focusing on minimizing packaging and food waste.
Challenge each family member to only take the portion of food they can finish and avoid leftovers.

Reuse:
Family Challenge: Upcycling Extravaganza
Set up a crafting station with various recycled materials and challenge each family member to create something new from items that would otherwise be thrown away.
Vote on the most creative upcycled creation at the end of the day.

Repair:
Family Challenge: Fix-It Blitz
Gather broken items from around the house, such as toys, clothing, or electronics, and challenge each family member to repair one item.
Work together to brainstorm repair solutions and celebrate successful fixes.

Recycle:
Family Challenge: Recycling Relay Race
Set up a recycling sorting station with bins for different materials (e.g., paper, plastic, glass).
Challenge each family member to race against the clock to sort a pile of recyclables into the correct bins.

Rot:
Family Challenge: Compost Creation
Start a family compost bin or pile together and challenge each family member to contribute to it by collecting food scraps throughout the day.
Monitor the compost's progress and celebrate the addition of each new compostable item.

Resist:
Family Challenge: Eco-Friendly Advocacy
Challenge each family member to choose an environmental issue they care about and create a poster or presentation advocating for positive change.
Share your advocacy projects with each other and discuss how you can take action as a family to make a difference.

Other Ideas...

ASK FOR DONATIONS: Once you have a designated area set up for collection, you can use the different donations in lots of fun ways. Do you have plans to set up a mud kitchen? Old pots and pans can be a great addition to this area. You could even use them in your home corner. Lots of the donations can be used in these areas. Kitchen utensils can be added for children to explore in these areas. They can be a great way for children to scoop, stir, squeeze, and play. Children can see how old things we might have thrown away can be reused easily. Old cans can be washed and used as storage for pens, pencils, markers, and more. Children could even design a sleeve for the cans to decorate them. This is a great way to help children practise mark-making. All they will need is a rectangular piece of paper to colour how they see fit. The paper can then be wrapped around the can to make them personalized.
CARDBOARD BOXES: Wondering how you can use cardboard boxes? A greatactivity for Preschoolers to try out is a glueing station! You can set up cardboard boxes, along with a variety of other materials for children to glue. This can be a place where children can let loose and express their creativity. Lots of things can be made from cardboard boxes. If you have lots of different shapes and sizes, children can have a go at fixing them together to create their own inventions. You could even create a robot as a group! This is a lovely way to get children to work together. They can decorate their robot using pens, paint, and more. The end product can be used to enhance role-play ideas.
REUSE FOR PLANTING/STORAGE: If you have any old containers, like milk bottles, ice cream tubs, or plastic boxes, your Early Years children may want to have a go at growing their own plants. This is a great way to link back to nature and spark discussion on the importance of recycling. To plant the seeds, you will first need to poke some holes into the bottom of your container. Children can pick out which plants they want to grow. If you are using see-through plastic, children can watch how their seeds grow roots and develop.
COUNTING/SORTING: What to do with the different colored milk/water bottle tops? You can use these in the learning space to learn about colors, counting, sorting, patterns, and so much more.
FASHION SHOW: A recycled fashion show is a perfect opportunity for preschoolers to unleash their imagination while learning about sustainable fashion. Here’s how you can organize an eco-friendly fashion show:
- Collect a variety of materials such as old newspapers, magazines, fabric scraps, and cardboard. Or take a field trip to the thrift store to gather supplies.
- Provide child-safe scissors, tape, glue, and markers for the children to design their outfits.
- Encourage them to express their individuality by creating unique clothing items and accessories.
- Host a fashion show where each child can confidently strut their eco-friendly creations. Invite families to make it a family engagement event.
- This activity not only educates children about reusing materials but also promotes self-expression and boosts their confidence as they showcase their fashionable and sustainable designs on the runway.
TOY MAKING: Preschoolers love playing with toys, and involving them in designing eco-friendly toys from recycled materials is a wonderful way to introduce them to sustainability. Here are a few ideas to get started:
- Transform cardboard boxes into dollhouses or mini theaters.
- Use empty toilet paper rolls to create binoculars or race cars.
- Repurpose old socks and buttons to design stuffed animals or puppets.
- By engaging in these eco-friendly toy design activities, preschoolers learn the value of repurposing and minimizing waste while enjoying the pleasure of playing with their own creations.
UPCYCLED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS:Transforming everyday recyclable items into musical instruments provides a fun and interactive way for preschoolers to explore sound and rhythm. Here are a few simple ideas:
- Gather empty plastic bottles or cans and fill them with rice, beans, or colorful beads to create maracas.
- Construct a guitar using a shoebox, rubber bands, and a cardboard tube as the neck.
- Create a tambourine by attaching bottle caps or buttons to a paper plate.
- These homemade instruments will not only inspire your little ones to experiment with music but also teach them the value of upcycling and repurposing materials.

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