Fun Things To Do
Fun Games to Play
- Fun & Games the 3R Way - Trash Bag Relay, Plastic Scavenger Hunt, Trash Sculpture
-
Click
and Learn - Find out what can become of the things in your recycle
bin.
-
Matching
Games - Ready
to recycle? Drag each item on the top row to its recycled form on
the bottom row. This game requires a 4.0 or better browser with
JavaScript enabled.
- Resource-o-Rama
- See if you can figure out which natural resources are used in making
these common consumer goods.
- Vend-o-Matic
- Drag household items into the Vend-o-Matic to see what they can
become when they are recycled.
 Make
You Own Recycled Paper
Making
paper is an art. When you make paper at home or at school, you do essentially
the same thing as commercial paper manufacturing plants by mixing old
paper with water (photo at right) to create recycled paper fiber. You
can use a blender; they use gigantic hydropulpers.
Here's a basic "recipe"
that's simple to do and takes less than an hour:
Ingredients:
-
Used
paper
-
Screen
on a frame
-
Tub
or bucket
-
Blender
or hand mixer
-
Magnifying
glass
-
Water
-
Old
newspapers
-
Optional:
rolling pin, cloth (two tea towels work well), dried flowers and leaves,
bleach, liquid starch
-
Tear
paper into 1-inch squares. Soak in water several hours or overnight.
-
Scoop
out 1/2-cup of paper and put into blender, add about two cups water
from the soaking container. Blend about 30 seconds.
-
Blending
breaks the paper into pulp. After blending, dip your fingers into
the pulp and look at them with the magnifying glass. You'll be able
to see the individual wood fibers that, when bonded together, make
paper!
-
Over
a sink, pour the pulp onto the screen and let the water drain out.
Place a layer of newspaper over the pulp and gently press out the
excess water.
-
Turn
the screen and newspaper over (so the newspaper is at the bottom)
and set it on a table (cover the table first!).
-
Carefully
lift the screen off the paper.
-
Place
another layer of newspaper onto the wet paper and gently press out
more water. Turn it over and remove the layer of newspaper. Repeat
this step a few times.
-
Gently
peel off the damp, recycled paper. Place it on a newspaper or table
to dry overnight. You can also use a rolling pin to help flatten or
press the paper. If you want, put the paper between two cloths (two
kitchen tea towels work well) and gently iron on your iron's lowest
setting until dry.
-
Try
using different types and colors of paper.
-
Vary
the amount of water you use. Less water makes thicker paper.
-
Try
de-inking the paper by adding a teaspoon of bleach (be careful not
to get any bleach on your clothes!) after blending.
-
Add
a teaspoon of liquid starch after blending to create a finish on the
paper surface.
-
Put
decorations, such as dried flowers or leaves, on your paper after
you pour it onto the screen.
Up to the top
...
 Make
a Worm Farm
Worms
play an important role in our environment. They move and mix soil when
they burrow into the earth. They help plants get access to air and water.
The Missouri Department
of Natural Resources has a "worm farm" recipe.
Here are the details:
-
Get
a glass jar (an old mayonnaise jar would work well) and put some moist
soil in the bottom. Sprinkle a teaspoon of uncooked oatmeal on top.
Add a one-inch layer of moist sand. Continue layering until you are
2 inches from the top of the jar. Don't leave any oatmeal on top.
-
Next,
put up to 20 earthworms into the jar. Punch holes in the jar lid
then screw it onto the jar. Cover with a dark cloth and put your worm
farm somewhere out of direct sunlight. After a week, have a
look! See how the worms have mixed the soil and sand in their search
for food.
-
Keep
your worms cool and moist. Every six weeks or so, add a little more
oatmeal for your worms to eat. Be careful not to add much water, or
they may drown.
Up to the top
...
 Create
Art From Scraps
Use
broken tiles, paper scraps and pictures from old magazines to create
"multimedia" art. Draw a picture and fill it in with "mosaics" from
scraps.  Use
your imagination to create a "recyclasaurus" or other new creature out
of old soft drink cans or 2-liter bottles. This project is limited only
by your own imagination!
This dinosaur sculpture
at Disney's new Animal Kingdom is made from old glass bottles and other
scraps (photo at left)! Click the picture to see a really big version
and get a closer look at the materials from which the sculpture is made
According to Joan Manangu
of Executive Offices at Walt Disney World Resort, this piece was created
by the artist known as Mr. Imagination. He is also the same person who
created the outdoor patio at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney.
There is one Hidden Mickey on this sculpture. It is located on the first
spike, running down the back of the creature, you will find a one year
anniversary pin.
Up to the top
...
Things
To Make With a Paper Grocery Bag
- Make an Indian vest.
Slit the bag down the back center and cut holes for your neck and
arms. Decorate, attach feathers and cut clits in the bottom for fringe.
Use a hole punch on either side to attach yarn and ties.
- Make a kite. Cut
down one side and around the bottom to end up with a large rectangle.
Decorate, then fold ends to a point to form an overall diamond shape
and staple or glue into place. Tie two sticks in the shape of a "T"
onto the back side using string or yarn. Tie a piece of kite string
onto all four corners, joining them in the front with a knot. Then
tie your kite string to the middle knot. Add a tail out of old rags
and you're ready to fly!
- Make a book cover
and some bookmarks to match.
- Weave some placemats.
Cut down one side of the bag and cut out the bottom. Cut out each
tall side of the bag. Cut one side into strips. Cut slits in the other
side leaving one inch uncut on each end. Weave decorated strips in
and out of the slits.
- Make a mask. Cut
eye holes near the top and arm holes in the sides. Draw a face and
glue some yarn or paper-strip hair to the top. For curly "hair," slide
some paper strips across the edge of a pair of scissors.
Up to the top
...
Some
Easy Ways To Be Earth-Friendly
-
Buy
recycled paper and envelopes when you can.
-
Buy
products packaged in recycled materials.
-
Buy
products in bulk or those with the least amount of packaging.
-
Recycle
your own household paper and newspapers.
-
Use
cloth napkins and tea towels instead of paper ones.
-
Recycle
your junk mail and reduce the amount of junk mail you get by contacting
the Mail Preference Service, c/o
-
Direct
Marketing Association, 6 East 43rd St., New York, NY 10017, and asking
them to remove your name from mailing lists that are sold to companies.
-
Don't
waste paper. Use both sides before recycling it.
-
Bring
along a cloth or canvas tote bag when you shop.
Up to the top
...
Visit
Recycle City
-
Over
at the U.S. government's Environmental Protection Agency website at
www.epa.gov/recyclecity,
you can visit Recycle City and play "Clean
Up Dumptown."
|
[
