Free Recycling Printables and Montessori-Inspired Recycling Activities

Do you wonder how to get your child or students interested in recycling? The Earth Day celebration each spring is a perfect time to focus on recycling awareness and activities, although, of course, it should be Earth Day every day! To help you out, this month’s themed post focuses on recycling. Today, I have some Montessori-inspired recycling activities using free recycling printables … perfect for Earth Day every day.

I’m also excited to share my latest subscriber freebie … a Montessori-inspired recycling pack! Here, I’m also sharing the links to lots of free recycling printables for preschoolers through 1st graders (and sometimes older). To keep the list manageable, I’m sharing links that are specifically related to recycling rather than Earth Day in general except where the printable includes specific recycling pages. There are general Earth Day free printables in my “Free Earth Day Printables and Activities” post.

Montessori-Inspired Recycling Activities Using Free Printables

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).

Do-a-Dot Recycling Bins Color Activity

Free Printable: Earth Day Do-a-Dot Printables from Gift of Curiosity

This activity couldn’t be easier to prepare once you have the necessary materials! I just printed out the page with the green recycling bin trail from Gift of Curiosity. I added Do-a-Dot markers. After your child has finished with the green trail, you could have him or her match the other colors of recycling bins with Do-a-Dot markers. The tray is a large plastic tray from Montessori Services.

Recycling Number Puzzles for 1-10 and 11-20

Free Printable: Number Puzzles 1-10 from Earth Day Pack and Earth Day Puzzles at Totschooling

Free Printable: Number Puzzles 11-20 from Earth Day Pack (PreK Pack Part 1) at Royal Baloo

This was another simple activity to prepare! I just had to print out, laminate, and cut out the letter puzzles. I added them to a wooden tray I got a few years ago at Michaels craft store. There are more puzzles available in the printables, so just choose the ones that are best for your child or students.

I used .55 liter Really Useful Boxes. They’re available on Amazon, although I got mine on sale at an office supply store.

Counting Activity with Recycling Bin Number Cards
Free Printable: Recycling Bin Number Cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber).

For toddlers (who don’t mouth objects) and younger preschoolers, you could just have one number card with the correct amount of recyclables in a container. I found these very cool miniature glass bottle with corks. They come in sets of 50, so you’ll need two sets if you want to prepare numbers and counters as shown below. These aren’t as fragile as you’d think, but they’re still best for children who will be gentle with them.

Montessori sensitive periods show that children from ages 1½-4 are especially drawn to small objects and details. The miniature bottles add interest as well as a great fine-motor activity. I’m planning to use mine for a variety of activities. Amazon carries .14 liter Really Useful Boxes, although the box I used for this activity is even shorter. Again, I found it on sale at an office supply store. You might also find a miniature recycling bin for office supplies that you could use instead. I used a Montessori Services medium-size tray to hold everything.

We use a Montessori Services rug for our floor work, although this activity would work well at a table. The 1-10 numbers and counters need to be done on a rug. For this activity, the child just removes the bottles from the “recycling bin” and counts them next to the card. This was a good way to let my almost-2-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, work with the mini bottles without having to count all 55 bottles.

Recycling Numbers and Counters

Free Printable: Recycling Bin Number Cards (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)

I love making DIY themed cards and counters to introduce odd and even and add interest and variety to cards and counters. Again, I used the .14 liter Really Useful Boxes that looked like little recycling bins along with the miniature glass bottles. You need exactly 55 bottles if you want to do the numbers and counters 1-10.

Roll-and-Stamp Recycling Addition Activity

Free Printable: Roll and Stamp from Earth Day Pack at Homeschool Encouragement

This is a super-easy activity to prepare. It uses two die along with Do-a-Dot markers, glass gems, or some other way to mark the numbers used, and a piece of paper for the printable! Younger children can count the dots to add the two numbers together while older children can work on remembering the facts, counting the dots if needed as a check.

Earth Day Every Day Picture Cards and Labels

Printable: Earth Day – Every Day! Picture Cards and Labels from Montessori Print Shop (Note: The printable is no longer free.)

I LOVE this printable from Montessori Print Shop! It’s so helpful that there are definitions for the terms Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Upcycle, and Protect. Then there are 15 real photographs with short captions that can be matched to the labels. It’s a great way to discuss these important terms with young children. Older children can read and sort out the cards on their own.

Free Recycling Printables for Preschoolers-First Graders (some printables for up to grade 3)

Montessori-Inspired Recycling Pack for DIY Cards and Counters, Number or Letter Matching, Number or Letter Basket, Number or Letter Salt/Sand Writing Tray, Letter Tracing, and DIY Movable Alphabet  (subscriber freebie, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password – or check your inbox if you’re already a subscriber)

• 3-Part Recycle Cards from Living Montessori Now
• Sorting Recyclables from Totschooling
• Earth Day Recycling Printable from A Little Pinch of Perfect
• Recycling Printables from Preschool Mom
• Garbage Sorting Printable from One Time Through
• Earth Day Printable Pack from Happy and Blessed Home
• Earth Day Writing Prompts from 3 Dinosaurs
• Earth Day Themed Bookmarks from 3 Dinosaurs
• Earth Day Learning Pack from 3 Dinosuars
• Earth Day Place Mats by Erin from Royal Baloo at Kids Activities Blog
• Earth Day Handwriting Sheets from Twisty Noodle
• Writing Paper with an Earth Day Theme from Elementary Matters
• Recycling Printables from Teachers Pay Teachers

More Earth Day (Earth Day Every Day) Resources

• Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Printables and Activities for a Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Unit
• Free Recycling Printables and Montessori-Inspired Recycling Activities
• Free Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Phonics Instant Download)
• Free 3-Part Recycle Cards
• Free Endangered Animal Songs and Educational Videos {Save the Animals}
• Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Activities for Earth Day Every Day
• More Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities
• Free Earth Day Printables and Montessori-Inspired Earth Day Activities
• Montessori-Inspired Arbor Day Activities
• Free Recycling Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Recycling Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
• Free Conservation Songs for Home or School {Character Education Resources}
• Free Earth Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
• Free Tree Printables and Montessori-Inspired Tree Activities
• Thank You for Planet Earth (or Thank You, Planet Earth) Mindfulness Cards and Booklet
• Kids’ Earth Day Every Day Pinterest Board