Discover this engaging activity designed to teach your child about reusing and recycling in a fun and captivating manner! All you'll need is a blender, seeds, and any recyclable paper laying around the house!
Reuse, Recycle
Focused Vocabulary
Native
Plant
Vegetable
Paper
Recycling
Materials:
Lots of recyclable paper (This can be newspapers, egg cartons, tissue paper, paper grocery bags, unprinted computer paper, etc.)
Blender
Assorted native plant seeds or vegetable seeds
Spoon (or other item to stir)
Warm water
Strainer
Dish towels
Sponge
Preparation:
Shred recyclable paper into very small pieces
Background:
Making seed paper is a fun way to reuse paper scraps, and it’s pretty easy to do! Once the paper dries, you can decorate it any way you like. Did you know that recycling just one ton of paper can save 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,000 kilowatts of electricity? That’s enough power to keep a home running for five months! How cool is that?
Pre Activity Questions:
What are your favorite native plants?
What are your favorite vegetables?
Directions:
Step 1: Create the Pulp
Have kids help put shredded paper into blender until half full
Pour warm water over into blender until at fill line
Blend on low speed for about 10 seconds
Increase speed and blend for 30 more seconds
Ensure there are no visible shreds of paper left
Step 2: Add the seeds
Sprinkle about teaspoon of seeds into the mixture
Stir them in
DO NOT BLEND!
Step 3: Spread pulp and dry
Pass out dish towels to each group
Dump pulp onto towels and spread it out as thin as possible
Use a sponge to flatten out further and soak up excess water
After pulp has dried on one side, flip it over and let the other side dry
Step 4: Place on top of soil and water!
Post Activity Questions:
What do we need to do to make sure these grow?
This activity along with our additional Sustainability Activities were generously sponsored by the Copper Environmental Fund for continued education!
