Carnival for the Planet: Promoting Recycling through Community Participation

 

The kindergarten participated in the Municipality’s Carnival Parade as a Recycling Team, implementing an environmental awareness activity that connected school learning with the wider community. The children designed and created costumes and masks using recyclable materials, giving a second life to everyday objects and discovering in practice how reuse can contribute to environmental protection.

The activity was based on principles of experiential and collaborative learning, as children explored materials, exchanged ideas and worked together to create their costumes. At the same time, with the support of digital tools, they composed a “Recycling Song”, which they proudly performed during the parade, expressing in a creative way the message of caring for the environment.

Parents were actively involved in the preparation of the costumes, strengthening the cooperation between school and family and highlighting the importance of shared participation in educational initiatives. Such collaboration supports children’s learning by connecting school experiences with their everyday life.

Participation in the public carnival parade allowed the children to communicate the message of recycling beyond the walls of the school, reaching the wider local community. Through this initiative, the school aimed to promote environmental awareness and encourage responsible attitudes towards sustainable practices, reminding everyone that recycling is an important step in helping our planet breathe. ♻️🌍

STEM for Recycling ♻️

(Teachers: Afroditi Flora & Kalliopi Tzouka)

In our classroom, recycling turned into creativity and meaningful learning.

The children worked step by step to create a painting board using recyclable materials, discovering how everyday objects can be reused in new and imaginative ways.

First, they collected materials from their environment and brought them into the classroom. Then, they sorted the objects according to their material, comparing, grouping, and discussing their characteristics.

Together, the children shared ideas and decided how the materials could be used. Through experimentation and collaboration, they created and assembled the painting board, combining construction, problem-solving, and artistic expression.

Once completed, the painting board became part of our free play activities, giving children the opportunity to explore, paint, and create freely, while continuing to use a tool they had designed themselves.

A simple recycling activity that grew into a creative STEM experience — meaningful, playful, and sustainable. 

14th kindergarten Agrinio-Greece Making a slogan for Water pollution

 

2nd kindergarten or N. Rysio:“We did a small experiment about air pollution using sample plates covered with Vaseline. We placed them inside our classroom and outside, then observed the results. Another time, we made our own factory chimneys—not with smoke, but with clean and beautiful images popping out of them.”

 

Experiment about air pollution by the 2nd Kindergarten of Neo Rysio, Greece

 

Experiment: How Plants Help Reduce Air Pollution

The children carried out an experiment to investigate whether plants can trap particles from the air and thus help reduce pollution. The activity encouraged them to observe, hypothesize, and draw conclusions through hands-on exploration.

Step 1 – Discussion and hypotheses:

The activity began with a discussion about air pollution and how it affects our environment. The children were invited to share their ideas and form hypotheses about how plants might protect the air. Some suggested that “leaves catch the dust,” while others believed that “plants can clean the air around them.”

Step 2 – Observation:

Each group received a potted plant and a magnifying glass. The children carefully observed the surface of the leaves to see if there was anything unusual. They noticed small particles and tiny spots of dust that seemed to have settled on the leaves.

Step 3 – Verification:

To confirm their observations, the children used a wet wipe to gently clean one leaf. They were surprised to see that the wipe became dirty, proving that the leaves had indeed trapped dust and other small particles from the air.

Step 4 – Discussion and conclusions:

Through guided discussion, the children concluded that plants help to purify the air by retaining pollutants on their leaves and releasing oxygen. They realized that greenery acts as a natural air filter that protects both people and the environment.

Step 5 – Formulation of functional definitions:

Finally, the children expressed their understanding in their own words, defining plants as “natural cleaners of the air” and “the Earth’s lungs,” reinforcing their awareness of the importance of plants for a healthy planet.

 Two presentations about air pollution!

https://prezi.com/view/KXjlhC2GELbyWsn0lbw7/?referral_token=TxwQdglnB3FN 

https://prezi.com/view/jzSrSXpcT9pLHbn5EHyG/?referral_token=9a7WH-lnB3FN 

 Stem for soil pollution!