Recycling a Cardboard Box

Eco Kids magazine

EcoKids 1

Eco Kids Magazine

By re-using things, Ecokids develop an understanding of the role they can play in reducing landfill and a sense of responsibility about the rubbish they create. They use and extend upon creative problem-solving skills in constructing things using recycled materials.

A Puppet Theatre for EcoKids

You will need a carboard box about 30 cm by 60 cm
scissors
paste
decorative materials

Measure and rule up a square.
Cut the square out of the bottom of the box.
Stand the box up on one end and decorate with recycled coloured paper, stars, paints etc.

Your theatre is now ready for a play using puppets.

A Cubby - A great escape for Ecokids of all ages, wanting to do their own thing.

You will need a large cardboard box (e.g. an electrical appliance box). Visit electrical stores for unwanted boxes.
Eco-friendly kid's paint.
Smaller cardboard containers.
Masking tape, scissors or stanley knife (to be used by grown-ups only).
Other items for inside and outside the cubby.
A small hammer for older Eco kids wishing to pull old unwanted objects apart.
Old sheets, curtains etc.

Introduce the idea of making a cubbyhouse. If it needs a door / windows and so on.
Let them know it can be an ongoing project that they add to over a period of time.
Older Eco kids may enjoy having a friend over to help build the cubby.

You may find additions for the cubby at a garage / yard sale, recycled area at the local tip, thrift stores, etc.

It is good to be able to move cubbies from the indoors to outdoors and from room to room.

Draw a plan of where various openings should be.

Cut out the openings.

Decorate or paint the cubby, this is best done outdoors, with an old cover to catch dripping paint.Great for Eco kids af all ages.

Add furnishings inside the cubby - empty cereal boxes, pillows, books, toys, dressup clothes, sheets, curtains, play cloths etc.

Solar box cookers or a Compost Bin
One of the best ways to use a cardboard box is to turn it into a solar box cooker. Recycling 60 or so cardboard boxes might save one tree, but one solar box cooker can save at least one whole tree all by itself, each year. Some people think solar box cookers can save the world, and they could be right!