At HealthBarn USA, one of our Seven Healthy Habits that we teach kids is recycling. This arts and crafts activity allows kids to flex their creative muscles and put the 3 R’s–Reduce, Reuse and Recycle–into practice. The ” litter bug” they create will help remind them about the importance of keeping the environment clean and litter-free!
Age appropriateness: 3-12 (simple to elaborate litter bugs!)
Time: 15-20 minutes
Materials: An empty egg carton or crumbled newspaper, tape, glue, discarded objects (old buttons, pieces of cardboard boxes, or litter—just wash hands after collecting anything found on the ground), art supplies like googly eyes or pipe cleaners.
Litter bug on the approach!
Adult Prep: Use the single segment of an egg carton (2 eggs’ worth), or crumble newspaper and tape it into a sphere for the litter bugs body.
Kids’ Activity:
- Use the discarded or found objects and art supplies to make eyes, mouth, legs, hair, and other body parts and glue them to the body.
- Paint or decorate your bug however you want. Parents, encourage creativity!
Keep litter bugs in plain sight to remind kids to protect the environment!
Children should keep the litter bug in a place that they will see everyday as a reminder to practice the healthy habit of recycling to be protectors of the environment.
– Stacey Antine, MS RD, author, Appetite for Life and founder, HealthBarn USA
A healthy lifestyle isn’t all about food: keeping kids active and fostering their creativity is essential for healthy development, too! In this blog, I’ll be sharing weekly activity ideas for families to do together.
