Carnival for the Planet: Promoting Recycling through Community Participation

 

The 2nd kindergarten Neo Rysio 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. ♻️🌍

Recycling Kindergarten of Dispilio Kastoria -Greece

 Kindergarten of Dispilio Kastoria-Greece  Ευσεβεία Ασβεστά-Κωνσταντινίδου with Despoina Tsakiri and Matina Pitouli

 Recycling

What is Recycling and how important is it?

 Recycling is when we take old and useless materials (such as paper, plastic, glass) and re-make them into new things, instead of throwing them in the trash. What is the importance of Recycling and Why should we recycle? Recycling helps keep the Earth clean, reduces trash, protects animals and plants, saves energy and materials. We recycle because we love nature, we want clean air and clean water, we want a beautiful planet for ourselves and our friends, we show that we are responsible children and citizens. Recycling is important because we learn to take care of the environment, we acquire good habits from a young age, we help the Earth, we learn to cooperate and respect the world around us. Message from the children:
"When we recycle, we become heroes of the Earth!"

The next section in our etwinning project “Stem For a Cleaner World” is recycling. We watched a video, read the fairy tale “Mr. Ben, Moo and the Trash” and painted it. We discussed the problem of trash and the proposed solutions, such as the triptych reduce-reuse-recycle, recycling in the blue bins, benefits of recycling. Ideas for garbage separation. We created “Paper”, “Plastic” and “Metal” for garbage separation. Separate bin for batteries. We recorded what we learned on worksheets. Then, with used packaging, such as boxes, bottles, kitchen paper rolls, clothespins, cans, papers, etc., the children make bracelets, dolls, musical instruments, toys. We went one step further and recycled clothes. We collected clothes that we no longer wore and took them for recycling to the Pink Bin that the municipality of Kastoria has placed outside our school.

 

 

 We recycled materials and created toys, bracelets, Christmas ornaments, clowns and musical instruments.

 

We also recycle clothes in the pink bins of the Municipality of Kastoria

 

  Our school's activities 

 

 https://youtu.be/rF2OTwH_eYk

 

 

 We created recycling games for all the collaborating schools. You can see and play them here:

https://view.genially.com/698387b023a34893a0fbd74f/interactive-content-recycling-games

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. 

Celebrated Safer Internet Day. 3st Student Meeting Kindergarten of Dispilio Kastoria -Greece

 

Kindergarten of Dispilio Kastoria -Greece   Ευσεβεία Ασβεστά-Κωνσταντινίδου with Despoina Tsakiri and Matina Pitouli

  We met with our students on February 10, 2026, and celebrated Safer Internet Day. Our students gathered for Safer Internet Day. They showed each other the activities they had done, exchanged good wishes, and sang songs.

https://youtu.be/hOmSrsjBGcE