Activity Introduction
Quick summary: The aim of this activity is to encourage children to think about waste and recycling. Younger children are asked to investigate different types of waste, describing and sorting the different types of waste according to their size, shape, weight, colour and texture. Older children are asked to look more deeply at different types of waste and think about which bins these types of waste should go in.
This lesson has been developed as part of the Schools Recycle Right Challenge for Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week. Register your lesson or other activities so they can be counted towards the national achievement and to receive other free support materials.
This activity is designed to help connect children to the wonders of the natural world through sensory and play-based learning.
EYLF Learning Outcome | Elaborations |
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world | 3. Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment |
Outcome 4: Children are involved and confident learners | 1. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity 2. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating 4. Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials |
Equipment needed:
Ages – 0 to 2:
- A sensory table with a range of waste items. Try to ensure that these items have differences in colour, weight, shape and texture. For example, you could use a tin can, a soft drink bottle, bottle lids, plastic tubs, paper, newspaper, magazines, corks, boxes, milk cartons etc. Make sure all waste is clean and sharp edges have been covered with masking tape.
Ages – 2 to 3:
- A sensory table with a range of different waste items. Try to ensure that these items have differences in colour, weight, shape and texture. For example, you could use a tin can, a soft drink bottle, bottle lids, plastic tubs, paper, newspaper, magazines, corks, boxes, milk cartons etc. Make sure all waste is clean and sharp edges have been covered with masking tape.
- Create as many different types of bins as you have in your central (e.g. rubbish, recycling, food waste/compost/chooks). You can create the bins out of cardboard boxes or simply stick images of the different types of bins onto boxes or tubs (using your own pictures or the ones provided – Types of bins)
Ages – 3 to 5:
- Print out two copies of the types of rubbish and cut into two separate piles – Types of waste.
- Create as many different types of bins as you have in your central (e.g. rubbish, recycling, food waste/compost/chooks). You can create the bins out of cardboard boxes or simply stick images of the different types of bins onto boxes or tubs (using your own pictures or the ones provided – Types of bins).
Supporting resources:
- Videos – Managing Classroom Waste and The Aluminium Cycle.
Other resources:
- Cool Australia Waste Toolbox
- Cool Australia Waste video (see below)
Cool Australia Presents Waste from Cool Australia on Vimeo.
Cool Australia would like to acknowledge the support of the Seedlings Early Years Education for Sustainability (EYEfS) program.
Background information: