Many parents want to teach their kids to recycle.
Today the Boulder Journey School takes that eco-friendly lesson a step further with its Creative Recycling Festival.
“You won’t see many regular plastic toys around here,” says Lauren Shaffer, an infant and toddler teacher at the school. “We use recycled and natural materials in our programs on an ongoing basis.”
The festival is a chance for the school to share its ideas about repurposing discarded objects with other educators, parents and members of the local community.
“You can recycle a bottle, but you can’t recycle the bottle cap directly,” Shaffer explains. Instead of tossing that plastic cap in the trash, it can be cleaned and recycled into a great plaything.
“Toddlers might . . . pretend the caps are different foods in the kitchen,” Shaffer says. The caps also make interesting tiles for art projects, and colorful tactile objects for very small children to explore.
This “creative recycling” allows the Boulder Journey School to responsibly handle what would otherwise end up in a landfill. It also allows tots to exercise their imaginations.
Other handy and fun recyclables include cardboard tubes, wine corks and empty gum wrappers. Different- sized plastic containers can be used for sorting, stacking and filling.
The trick to finding new uses for old items is simple.
“Just ask the children,” Shaffer says. “That’s the best way to gather ideas.”
The school will have four classrooms set up today to showcase different experiences with their recycling program. One room will feature recycled materials with light tables and projectors. “It gets people thinking about things differently,” says Shaffer.
Another classroom is all about construction and building. A third room is for science experiments, and the last room is devoted to art projects.
“Boulder is a leader and prides itself on green practices,” Shaffer says. “We want to gather feedback from other educators, parents, and the community.”
The school has even added composting bins to classrooms: “We were nervous about it at first, but even little toddlers picked it up right away.”
Above all, these programs are aimed at creating responsible habits from the start.
“We believe that simple exposure is important,” Shaffer says. “When children grow up recycling, it becomes a part of their values.”
Creative Recycling Festival
When: Today from 10 a.m. to noon
Where: Boulder Journey School, 1919 Yarmouth Ave., Boulder
Admission: Free
Information: Call 303-443-8909
