Holidays such as Christmas, Hanukkah, or birthdays often mean many discarded packing or shipping boxes. Utilize these cardboard (and sometimes styrofoam) items as creative arts and crafts materials for young children. This activity will help children discover the concept of reuse, while promoting art process exploration and experimentation.
Reusing and Recycling Materials
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advocates the three R’s for protecting the environment, "first reduce how much you use, then reuse what you can, and then recycle the rest".
One simple way to begin recycling and reusing materials is to turn left over items into fun art projects. This is a great way to involve children in the reuse process, and increase environmental awareness. For added environmental education (and entertainment) try directing children to the EPA’s kids’ website.
Holiday Environmentally Aware Art Activity Materials
The specific art activity described in this article involves creating a snowy mixed media collage. Print making and painting techniques will be added to this winter theme collage; therefore multiple materials will be needed.
Packing and shipping boxes that have been used to send Christmas, Hanukkah, or birthday presents need not be thrown out with the garbage. Instead, try using these cardboard items to create unique art projects. Kids can also reuse styrofoam packing blocks or packing peanuts as part of the crafty fun.
Other materials that parents may need to help locate prior to beginning this art activity include:
- Tempera paint
- Paint brush
- Glue
- Scissors
- Washable paint palette or tray
Steps to Create Recycled Materials Art
Before beginning this activity, parents should discuss reusing and recycling with children. Involve the child (or children) in gathering the materials to be reused for this project. Make sure to point out why reusing materials is a better alternative than simply throwing items out in the garbage. Then, do the following.
- Cut apart a cardboard box into approximately 8 x 10 pieces of cardboard. The child may decide to use smaller or larger pieces.
- Have the child paint one side of the cardboard as the winter sky. Encourage the use of multiple colors for the sky. Discuss time of day and time of year with the child in terms of color. For example, a sunny winter afternoon may be depicted as a bright blue sky, while a dusk sky may have purples, pinks, or oranges. Another alternative is to make a unique sky that is filled with vibrant unrealistic colors or abstract painted patterns.
- Set aside to dry.
- Add snowflakes to the winter sky. The first process used to add snowflakes will be printing. Ask the child to dip styrofoam packing peanuts or blocks into white paint, and then print individual snowflakes by pressing the paint covered styrofoam onto the paper multiple times.
- The second snowflake step will be to add a collage effect. Place clear drying, non-toxic glue onto the paint covered styrofoam and glue it to the cardboard.
- Set aside to dry.
After the winter snowflake recycled art has been created (and has dried), display the project for the entire family to view. This art activity will help the family to reuse and recycle left over holiday packing materials, while helping to teach a valuable lesson. Follow the simple steps, and watch as children of all ages create imaginative art that is good for the environment.
Source:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency. Protect the Environment: At Home and in the Garden (accessed December 14, 2009).
Erica Loop - I am a mother and a professional Arts Educator, teaching visual arts programs to children ages three and up in both museum and school ...
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