Under the sea

• 5 Stars

Hold it right there! If you are walking towards the waste bin, or even better a recycling box – stop and think about what you are about to throw away. That collection of bottles and cardboard boxes might look like junk today, but wait – and then get busy – because the children in your setting are waiting to transform it into wonderful works of art. A plastic bottle quickly ceases to be an item of rubbish when it is covered in papier mâché, painted and launched as a rocket, while the possibilities offered by egg boxes are almost endless.

By encouraging the children to engage in the process of transforming familiar items through combining, joining and changing them, practitioners can not only begin to persuade the children of the benefits of recycling, but also provide them with experiences that will heighten their awareness and appreciation of the visual and tactile qualities that everyday objects have to offer.

Create an underwater scene, complete with octopus, fish and seaweed