Add these recycling projects for kids STEM to your “bin” of ideas! You will be thrilled to know that there are tons of STEM activities you CAN do with recycled materials! Whether you call it eco-friendly, frugal, inexpensive, or cheap, it is possible that all kids can have an awesome STEM experience with little out-of-pocket costs. Gather your resources, I mean your recycling bins, and let’s get started!
Tips for Doing Recycling Projects
By following these tips, you can create engaging and educational recycled STEM projects that inspire kids to think creatively, problem-solve, and positively impact the environment.
Recycled STEM projects are fantastic for engaging kids in hands-on learning and promoting environmental consciousness. Here are some tips to make the most out of these projects:
Start with a Discussion: Discuss the importance of recycling and how it helps the environment. You can talk about the different types of materials that can be recycled and why it’s essential to reduce waste.
Collect Materials: Gather various recyclable materials such as cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, paper towel rolls, aluminum cans, etc. Encourage kids to collect these materials from their homes or ask parents to donate items they no longer need.
Brainstorm Ideas: Have a brainstorming session where kids can develop project ideas using the recycled materials they’ve collected. Encourage creativity and critical thinking by asking questions like, “What can we make out of these materials?” or “How can we solve a problem using recycling?”
Provide Guidance: Offer guidance and support as needed, but allow kids to take the lead in planning and executing their projects. Help them understand the STEM concepts behind their ideas and how to apply them in their designs.
Incorporate STEM Concepts: Encourage kids to incorporate STEM concepts into their projects. For example, they can explore engineering principles by building structures with recycled materials, or they can learn about physics by creating simple machines like pulleys or levers.
Emphasize Problem-Solving: Encourage kids to think critically and solve problems while working on their projects. If they encounter challenges, guide them through the problem-solving process rather than providing solutions outright.
Encourage Collaboration: Encourage collaboration and teamwork by having kids work together on group projects. This fosters communication skills, cooperation, and the ability to work effectively in a team.
Celebrate Achievements: Celebrate the completion of each project and showcase the kids’ creations. This boosts their confidence and motivates them to continue exploring STEM concepts through recycling.
Reflect and Discuss: After completing the projects, take some time to reflect on the experience. Discuss what the kids learned, what they enjoyed most, and how they can continue incorporating recycling and STEM principles into their daily lives.
Extend Learning Opportunities: Encourage continued exploration by providing resources for further learning, such as books, websites, or visits to recycling facilities or science museums.
Free printable STEM activities pack!
Get started using your recycled materials with these quick and fun STEM challenge ideas!
List Of Recycled STEM Projects For Kids
Check out these recycling activities below by clicking on the links. I would also like to add that you can use your trash and recycling items to build boats to float, cars to go, and planes to fly. You can also look around and see what you already have to build structures for a quick STEM idea!
Balloon Car
Dig through the recycling bin for all the bits and pieces you need to build a balloon car that goes. Just add a balloon!
Paper Bag STEM Challenges
Check out these 7 STEM activities you can do with a few simple household items. Fill a paper bag or two with recyclables for these fun STEM challenges.
Build A Cardboard Marble Run
Turn all your leftover cardboard tubes into something fun and useful with this marble run STEM activity.
Marble Roller Coaster
How tall can you make a marble roller coaster from paper tubes? Better start saving them now!
Build A Hand Crank Winch
Building simple machines is a great way for kids to learn how stuff works! Our hand crank winch craft is truly an easy STEM activity with big impact.
Cardboard Bird Feeder
Make your own super simple homemade bird feeder from a toilet paper roll and add this fun bird-watching activity to your kid’s day!
Recycled Can STEM Project
Grab a can from the recycling bin and check out this fantastic crushing can experiment for quick STEM!
Make A DIY Kaleidoscope
Design and create a DIY kaleidoscope for kids using recyclable materials for a simple recycling activity.
Build A Droid
A few recyclable materials and some imagination is all it takes to build a fun droid or robot with this cool recycling project.
Cardboard Rocket Ship
Make your own super fun rocket ship box from a large cardboard box.
Take A Part A Computer
Do you have kids who love to take things apart, broken or not? Why not let them take apart a computer with a bit of assistance? My son thought this was the coolest recycling activity ever!
Pinhole Camera
Make a pinhole camera to discover all kinds of scientific phenomena!
Plastic Egg Carton Craft
Can you believe this recycled craft uses egg cartons! So easy to make, fun to wear, uses recycled materials, and includes a bit of chemistry too!
Melting Crayons
Easily an upcycled or repurposed project! Turn your jumbo box of broken and worn down bits of crayon into these new homemade crayons.
Paper Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower has to be one of the most well known structures in the world. Make your own paper Eiffel Tower with only tape, newspaper and a pencil.
Recycling Paper
Making your own recycled paper is not only good for the environment but it is a lot of fun too! Find out how to make a paper earth craft from used bits of paper.
Build A DIY Solar Oven
STEM isn’t complete until you have made your own sun oven or solar cooker for melting s’mores. No campfire needed with this engineering classic! Find out how to make a pizza box solar oven and what materials you need. It’s super simple!
Recycled Paper STEM Challenges
Instead of grabbing an unused piece of computer paper, dig into the paper bin and grab a discarded sheet or two for these fantastic STEM challenges.
- Paper Chain STEM Challenge
- Walk Through Paper STEM Challenge
- Paper Bridge STEM Challenge
- Strong Paper STEM Challenge
Plastic Bottle STEM Projects
- DIY Plastic Bottle Greenhouse
- Water Filter Engineering Project
- DIY Rain Gauge Engineering Project
- DIY Water Clock STEM Project
How To Set Your Kids Up For Recycling Projects
Use what you have and let your kids get creative with simple materials! These ideas also work great for Earth Day theme!
My pro tip is to grab a large, clean, and clear plastic tote or bin. Whenever you come across a cool item you would normally toss into recycling, toss it in the bin instead. This goes for packaging materials and items you may otherwise throw away.
What kinds of recyclables are perfect for these recycling activities below? Almost anything! Plastic bottles, tin cans, cardboard tubes and boxes, newspapers, old technology like computers and old CDs, and any cool odds or ends.
Many items like styrofoam and packaging materials can be saved from the trash bin and upcycled into cool recycling projects.
Grab this printable STEM supplies list here!
Standard STEM materials to save include:
- paper towel tubes
- toilet roll tubes
- plastic bottles
- tin cans (clean, smooth edges)
- old CDs
- cereal boxes, oatmeal containers
- bubble wrap
- packing peanuts
I also like to keep a bin of supplies on hand, such as tape, glue, paper clips, string, scissors, markers, paper, rubber bands, and anything else your kids can use to build or engineer their recycling projects.
Make sure to have the following:
- colored craft tape
- glue and tape
- scissors
- markers and pencils
- paper
- rulers and measuring tape
- recycled goods bin
- non-recycled goods bin
- pipe cleaners
- craft sticks (popsicle sticks)
- play dough
- toothpicks
- pompoms
STEM Resources To Get You Started
Here are a few resources that will help you introduce STEM more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.
Printable STEM Pack for Kids
80+ Doable Engineering Projects in one convenient pack!
- Full instructions with sample images
- Activity-specific instruction sheets
- Data Collection Sheets
- Questions for Reflection
- Architecture Building Cards: Try the tallest tower challenge
- Bridge Building Cards: Explore different types of bridges to build your own.
- Paper Chain STEM Challenge: Who can make the longest chain? Great icebreaker or quick challenge!
- 3 Little Pigs Architectural Pack: Design a house that won’t blow away!
- Great marshmallow challenge: A classic challenge kids love!
- Real-world STEM challenge lesson but don’t know where to start? Our easy-to-follow template shows the steps!
- What’s the difference between a scientist and an engineer?
- Crossword and word search with engineering vocabulary.
- Engineering vocabulary cards
- Design a one-of-a-kind invention and write about it with this 5-page activity!
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