Recycling Worksheets for Kids

Welcome to the resource list of the BEST free worksheets and printables about recycling online. These free worksheets can be used at school or to teach kids recycling facts at home. Learning about recycling has never been so much fun! Feel free to browse the list or suggest resources of your own. Let's each make a commitment to teach children the benefits of recycling!

Photo Credit: HSSchulte

Lakeshore Learning

Teach Kids to Sort Recyclables - into the correct bin with this cute worksheet, including Compost, Aluminum, Plastic, or Paper.

A-Z Teacher Stuff

Slideshow to Teach Kids about Composting - Very good explanation of the many ways to compost. It's important to remember that worms do most of the work and that composting is not rocket science. All you need to compost are unwanted plant materials (fruit and veggie scraps, leaves, grass clippings, etc.) and dirt.

ABC Teach

Lots and Lots of Free Printables Including: -

*An earth day award.

*Book List of Kids Books about the Environment

*Coloring Pages

*Recycling Mazes - Follow the path to put the plastic bottle in the plastic bin.

*Word games - Make as many words as you can from the words "Earth day."

*Printable song lyrics about recycling.

*Posters

*Recycling Signs

Vocab Maker

LARGE list of Free Worksheets: - Too many to list, but they include matching games, decoding word games and bingo sheets all with a recycling theme.

Pinellas County

Variety of Recycling Lessons and Activities by Age

Recycling Word Search

Coloring Book

Kindergarten-Lessons.com

Free Kindergarten Recycling Worksheets Including: -

*Understanding Composting

*Sorting Recycling

*Plant Growth Record

*Science Observation Book - "I Spy"

Bryson Education.org

Worksheets separated into 3 levels.

Level 1 (Preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st) Includes: -

*Composting

*Recycle Sorting

*Sequencing Recycling Events (for 1st or 2nd)

Level 2 (2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade) Includes: -

*Reuse Ideas

*Details on Paper, Plastic, Glass and Metal Recycyling

Level 3 (5th and 6th grade) Includes: -

*Lesson encourages children to think about their impact on the environment and sustainable living.

Education.com

This is a maze to help Eco find his way to the recycling bin. It is perfect for Kindergarten and 1st grade students as they become more familiar with the recycling symbol.

Eco-Friendly Maze : Recycling Symbol

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

The NIEHS has a maze to encourage younger kids to learn about worms. Help the worm make his way through the maze. There is also a hidden word search for older children. Hunt for environmentally friendly words, such as "compost," "recycling" and "earth."

Worm Maze

Hidden Word Search

Recycling Activities for Kids

If you are looking for an online recycling activity for children, try the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) "Recycle City" game. Kids can roam the city and find opportunities to recycle. To make the game more fun, have children hunt for specific recyclable items within the city. This game is similar to a treasure hunt. Kids can also play "Dump Town" where they can literally see unrecycled trash pile up throughout the city as a visual reminder of what happens when we don't recycle.

Recycle City

Are recycling worksheets for kids useful? Or do they need hands on experience?

After your children have done their recycling worksheets, let them watch one of the educational videos below about recycling plastic. Watch as plastic becomes recycled in the factory. Also watch a quick home lesson in recycling plastic.