Recycling Sorter
What you need
- a bag of clean things from the recycling bin
- three cardboard boxes, one each for card, plastic and paper
How to do it
- Tip out a bag of clean, rinsed recycling on the floor and set the three boxes in a row.
- Ask your child to sort it: card in one box, plastic in the next, paper in the third.
- Ask how they know: is it bendy, crinkly, see-through?
- Count how many things are in each box, and say which one has the most.
Why it matters
Sorting real recycling by what it's made of is a job that helps the house and a puzzle they can explain.
What they're learning
- Sorting by material
- Card, plastic or paper, decided by feel and look.
- Explaining a choice
- "It's plastic because it's see-through."
- Counting groups
- How many in each box, and which has most.
What to look for
Notice them squashing or bending something to work out what it is.
A tip
Rinse everything first and leave out glass, tins and anything sharp. Wash hands afterwards.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: sort into two boxes, card and plastic
Harder: add a fourth box for tubs and lids, and ask them to tell you the rule for each box
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Everyday helper activities · Toddler activities with paper · Toddler activities with a cardboard box