ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Required:

Pencil

Markers

Cardboard

Paper

Masking Tape

Scissors

Optional:

Straws

String

Popsicle sticks

wooden skewers

؜Recycled Materials

؜+

RECYCLED MATERIALS EXAMPLES

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard Tubes

Egg Cartons

Strings

Straws and Cups

Old Magazines

Plastic packaging

؜Plastic Bottles and Caps

Now it’s time to turn recycled materials into something fun to play with.

Your goal: Create one simple game using items you can find at home.

Use recycled materials and simple craft supplies to build your game.

Activity Prompt

؜Aiming Game

GAMES EXAMPLES

؜Maze Game

؜Stacking Game

Game:

Math Cups

Inspiration:

Aiming games at fairs and carnivals

Description:

Dangle numbered cups from a cardboard frame, then take aim! Shoot an arrow or toss a ball, then add, subtract, or multiply the numbers you hit.

Activity Example

1st

Think about what kind of game you want to make.

Will players throw something, spin something, stack something, or guide something through a path?

Draw a quick sketch of your idea.

Think about what the player has to do and how someone can win the game.

15 mins

Plan Your Game

Maze Game Example

2nd

Look around your home for recycled materials you can use.

You might find:

1. cardboard, bottle caps, paper rolls, plastic containers, string, egg cartons, or small boxes.

Choose materials that match your game idea.

10 mins

Gather Your Materials

Research on youtube fun some reels/videos that can guide you!

Research on youtube fun some reels/videos that can guide you!

3rd

Use your materials to make your game.

Cut, tape, fold, stack, or decorate the pieces as needed.

60 mins

Build Your Game

4th

Try your game at least once.

Check if it works and make small changes if needed.

Then take a photo or short video of your finished game and submit it.

20 min

Play and Submit!

؜Great!

You've Completed

Activity 1

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Required:

Pencil

Markers

Cardboard

Paper

Masking Tape

Scissors

Optional:

Straws

String

Popsicle sticks

wooden skewers

؜Recycled Materials

؜+

RECYCLED MATERIALS EXAMPLES

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard Tubes

Egg Cartons

Strings

Straws and Cups

Old Magazines

Plastic packaging

؜Plastic Bottles and Caps

Now it’s time to make something you can wear.

Your goal: create one wearable accessory using recycled materials.

You can choose what kind of wearable you want to make:

1. Mask
2. Hat or Crown
3. Glasses or Goggles
4. Bracelet, Necklace, or Other Accessory

You can also imagine your accessory as a character.

Give it a name, a style, and a special power or feature.

Activity Prompt

WEARABLE EXAMPLES

؜Body Wearables Like Wings

؜Cyborg Arm

Accessory:

Cyborg Hand

Inspiration:

Superheroes and Cyborgs

Description:

The Cyborg Hand turns your hand into a high-tech gadget! Made from cardboard and bright blue lights, it lets you look just like a superhero while providing a portable light source to help you see and navigate through dark spaces during a mission..

Activity Example

1st

Think about what kind of accessory you want to make.

Will it be a mask, a crown, glasses, or something else?

Draw a quick sketch of your idea.

Think about how it will look when someone wears it.

You can also think about your accessory as a character.

What is its name?

What feeling does it show?

Does it have a special power?

20 min

Plan Your Wearable

2nd

Look around your home for recycled materials you can use.

You might find:

1. cardboard, bottle caps, paper rolls, plastic containers, string, egg cartons, or small boxes.

Choose materials that match your wearable idea.

20 min

Gather Your Materials

3rd

Use your materials to make your wearable.

Cut, tape, fold, stack, or decorate the pieces as needed.

60 min

Build Your Wearable

SCORING CARDBOARD FOR BENDING

STACKING CARDBOARD FOR VOLUME

CUT CURVES BY MAKING MANY SMALL SLICES

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING

Bending

Scoring

Curving

Faceting

Layering

Hinging

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY

Brads

Flanges

Brace

Skewer

Bend

Hinge

Slots

Butt Joint

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: Mechanism

Gears

Scissor lift

Grabbing

Waving

Tentacle

Curving

Lever

Fanning

4th

Try on your accessory and see how it looks.

Check if it fits and make small changes if needed.

Then take a photo or short video of your finished wearable and submit it.

20 min

Play and Submit!

؜Great!

You've Completed

Activity 2

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Required:

Pencil

Markers

Cardboard

Paper

Masking Tape

Scissors

Optional:

Straws

String

Popsicle sticks

wooden skewers

؜Recycled Materials

؜+

RECYCLED MATERIALS EXAMPLES

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard Tubes

Egg Cartons

Strings

Straws and Cups

Old Magazines

Plastic packaging

؜Plastic Bottles and Caps

Now it’s time to build something that can move.

Your goal: create one small vehicle or flying object using recycled materials.

Pick one idea that excites you:

1. Balloon-Powered Car
2. Rubber Band-Powered Car
3. Glider or Flying Vehicle

Use recycled materials and simple craft supplies to build your vehicle.

You can also decorate it to make it look fun, fast, or futuristic.

Activity Prompt

Balloon-Powered Car

VEHICLE EXAMPLES

Rubber Band-Powered Car

Glider or Flying Vehicle

Vehicle:

Balloon Car

Inspiration:

Race cars and simple moving machines.

Description:

“I used cardboard for the body, bottle caps for the wheels, and a balloon to help the car move. I added stripes and a number on the side. My car is exciting because it can roll forward when the air comes out.”

Activity Example

1

1st

Think about what kind of vehicle you want to make.

Will it roll on the ground or fly in the air?

Draw a quick sketch of your idea.

Think about what parts it needs, like wheels, wings, or a balloon.

15 mins

Plan Your Vehicle

2nd

Look around your home for recycled materials you can use.

You might find:

1. Cardboard, bottle caps, paper rolls, plastic containers, string, egg cartons, or small boxes.

Choose materials that match your vehicle idea.

15 mins

Gather Your Materials

3rd

Use your materials to make your vehicle.

Cut, tape, fold, stack, or decorate the pieces as needed.

You can add colors, patterns, flags, wings, or other fun details.

120 min

Build Your Vehicle

Simple Rolling Car

From the supplies, you will select:

• 2 axles
• 2 pairs of wheels (4 total)
• 1 straw
• 1 cardboard platform

Cut the straw to fit the axle length (make sure the dowel axle is at least 1" longer that the straw so you can attach the wheels!).

Customize the shape of your cardboard platform based on your idea for a design and  the wheels and axles that you chose.

Glue the straws to the cardboard platform.

Put the dowels inside the straws.

Vehicle Examples

Vehicle Examples

Balloon Car

Balloon Car Materials

1. Corrugated cardboard
2. Straws
3. Plastic milk bottle caps - 4
4. Bamboo skewers - 2
5. Brass fastener - 1
6. Zip tie - 1
7. Metal washers - 4
8. Assorted rubber bands

Tools you could use:

1. Tape
2. Push pin
3. Ruler (paper)
4. Pencil, Pen, or Marker
5. Scissors

Cut one of the straws in half.

Make the wheels and axles for the car.

Cut both skewers , make sure the cut piece of wood stick is longer than the straw you cut. If you have really sharp scissors you can cut right through the skewers. Otherwise, cut through as much as you can and then snap the skewers off.

Make the wheels and axles for the car.

Make a hole in the center of the bottle caps using a small screwdriver, or sharp tool.

To do this, place the cap top up on a cutting board and push the screwdriver down into the center of the cap. Then pick up the cap and wiggle the screw driver all the way through until the hole is just large enough for the skewer to fit in.

Make the wheels and axles for the car.

Add a cap to the pointy end of the skewer, top first, and push it to the other side.

It should be a snug fit, but you can add some hot glue inside the cap to keep it in place if necessary.

Then add a straw half onto the skewer.

Make the wheels and axles for the car.

Place a second bottle cap on the skewer, opposite to how the first cap was added, so both tops of the caps are pointing out.

Repeat with the other caps, skewer, and straw half to make a second axle with wheels.

You can also trim the other end of the skewer if it sticks out too much. (do this safely, away from your eyes and others)

Make the wheels and axles for the car.

؜Tape/ glue each a axle to one side. Make sure that the straws are perpendicular to the bottle so that the wheels roll in the right direction.

Connect the wheels to the ‘car body’

Place the bottle with the wheels down and put the second straw into the bottle’s mouth, on an angle so it hits the top of the car/bottle.

Hold the straw so that an inch is outside the mouth of the bottle. Then mark an inch below where the straw hits the inside of the bottle. (You can either make an actual mark with a marker, or just keep your finger on the spot like we did.)

؜Add balloon power to the car

Slide a balloon onto the straw and secure it to the end with a small elastic.

؜Add balloon power to the car

Push the straw in through the ‘X’ cut on the bottle, until the end of the straw comes out the mouth of the bottle. (There should be about 1 inch coming out the mouth of the bottle and 1 inch coming out the top of the bottle on the balloon end. )

؜Add balloon power to the car

Now make the balloon blow!

The elastic should keep the balloon in place and secure on the straw as it blows up, but if it leaks air you may need to adjust the elastic on the balloon or glue the balloon to the straw.

Now put your finger on the end of the straw to hold in the air, and then let it go to watch the balloon car drive away!

Make it work!

Rubber Band Car

Rubber Band Car Materials

Required:

Corrugated cardboard

Drinking straws

Plastic milk bottle caps - 4

Bamboo skewers - 2

Brass fastener - 1

Zip tie - 1

Metal washers - 4

Rubber bands

Tools you could use:

Tape

Push pin

Ruler (paper)

Pencil, Pen, or Marker

Scissors

Make a hole in each bottle cap to fit your skewers.

Make sure the hole is tight around the skewer.

Measure your skewers and cut them 3cm longer than your car's body on each side

Cut your straws to be 1cm longer on each side.

Rubber Band Car

tape the straws and insert the skewers then connect the wheels like this

؜do the same in the back, but cut two small pieces of straw not one big one

Rubber Band Car

Make a hole for your brass fastener.

tie a zip tie on the back skewer pointing towards the back of the car and cut it then connect your rubber band

Rubber Band Car

hole here

Rubber Band Car

؜Make sure your car has weights in the back so it can move.

Now customize your car! Add a structure for the car body, and colorful paper, markers, and any other supplies to make the design your own.

When you're done you can spin the back wheels and watch it race!

Glider Plane

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Required:

Pencil

Markers

Cardboard

Paper

Masking Tape

Scissors

؜Recycled Materials

؜+

Glider Plane

A plane is usually made from 3 main parts:

The wings: it needs to be lightweight (thin) so we will draw it on thin cardboard.

The body: it needs to be strong so we will draw it on thick cardboard.

The tail: it needs to be lightweight (thin) so we will draw it on thin cardboard.

rigid (؜strong) cardboard body

Glider Plane

lightweight (؜thin) cardboard wings and tail

؜After you draw your parts on pieces of cardboard, you can cut your glider body and the wings and tail.

Tip: put some tape on the front side of the wings to make it fly better!

Glider Plane

Your glider plane should look something like this.

be careful not to throw it near important delicate objects!!

Launch it and let it fly!

Check this tutorial too, if you are interested in combining a balloon with flying vehicle

4th

Try your vehicle and see what it does.

Does it roll, glide, or move the way you hoped?

Make small changes if needed.

Then take a photo or short video of your finished vehicle and submit it.

10 mins

Play and Submit!

؜Great!

You've Completed

Activity 3

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Required:

Pencil

Markers

Cardboard

Paper

Masking Tape

Scissors

Optional:

Straws

String

Popsicle sticks

wooden skewers

؜Recycled Materials

؜+

RECYCLED MATERIALS EXAMPLES

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard Tubes

Egg Cartons

Strings

Straws and Cups

Old Magazines

Plastic packaging

؜Plastic Bottles and Caps

Now it’s time to make a small creature using recycled materials.

Your goal: Build a small creature that could live in a tower ( you will build the tower in the next activity)

As you build, think about your creature’s story:

1. What is its name?
2. What does it eat?
3. How does it move, play, or rest?

Use small recycled materials to bring your creature to life.

Activity Prompt

Creature:

Capo the Bottle Cap Bug

Inspiration:

Tiny insects and playful toy creatures

Description:

“I used bottle caps, paper scraps, and twist ties to make my creature. Its name is Capo. It likes to eat tiny paper crumbs and hide inside the corners of the tower. It moves by rolling and bouncing around its home.”

Activity Example

1st

Think about what kind of creature you want to make.

On a piece of paper answer the following questions (Give your creature a name and think about its story)

1. Name
2. Dislikes / Likes
3. How does he/she/it move, play, or rest?
4. Will it be funny, tiny, cute, strange, or wild?

Using the information you wrote about your creature:

Sketch what it would look like.

20 min

Plan Your Creature

2nd

Look around your home for recycled materials you can use.

You might find:

1. cardboard, bottle caps, paper rolls, plastic containers, string, egg cartons, or small boxes.

Choose materials that match your creature idea.

20 min

Gather Your Materials

3rd

Use your materials to make your creature.

Tape, glue, fold, twist, or connect the pieces as needed.

Try to give it a face, a body, and fun details that match its story.

90 mins

Build Your Creature

CARDBOARD CUTTING TIPS

Use the lines on the cutting mat and the ruler to cut straight and perpendicular lines 

Carefully draw on the cardboard the lines you want to cut first, then use your blade to trace them

Many light passes with the cutting blade will result in a cleaner cut than one strong push through the cardboard

SCORING CARDBOARD FOR BENDING

STACKING CARDBOARD FOR VOLUME

CUT CURVES BY MAKING MANY SMALL SLICES

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING

Bending

Scoring

Curving

Faceting

Layering

Hinging

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY

Brads

Flanges

Brace

Skewer

Bend

Hinge

Slots

Butt Joint

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: Mechanism

Gears

Scissor lift

Grabbing

Waving

Tentacle

Curving

Lever

Fanning

4th

10 mins

Submit!

؜Great!

You've Completed

Activity 4

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Required:

Pencil

Markers

Cardboard

Paper

Masking Tape

Scissors

Optional:

Straws

String

Popsicle sticks

wooden skewers

؜Recycled Materials

؜+

RECYCLED MATERIALS EXAMPLES

Cardboard Boxes

Cardboard Tubes

Egg Cartons

Strings

Straws and Cups

Old Magazines

Plastic packaging

؜Plastic Bottles and Caps

Now it’s time to build the base of a home using recycled materials.

Your goal: Create one home structure by using only one type of recycled material. This will be the home of your creature you built in Activity 4 (it's fine is you did not build a character)

Pick one material to work with, such as:

1. Paper
2. Cardboard
3. Cans

Use that one material to build a tower or structure that can become the base of a home. You can make it tall, wide, or in an interesting shape.

It's important to make it big so your creature can fit inside!

Activity Prompt

Paper

HOME EXAMPLES

Cardboard

Cans

Home Base:

Cardboard Tower

Inspiration:

Tall buildings and stacked homes

Description:

“I used only cardboard pieces to build my home base. I folded and stacked the pieces to make the structure stronger. My tower is tall and has different levels. I tried to make it stand up without falling over.”

Activity Example

1st

Choose one type of recycled material for your structure.

You will only use this one material to build your home base.

Look at the example photos and think about what shapes you can make.

Will your structure be tall, wide, or unusual? Sketch it out!

20 min

Plan Your Home

2nd

Look around your home for recycled materials you can use.

You might find:

cardboard, bottle caps, paper rolls, plastic containers, string, egg cartons, or small boxes.

Choose materials that match your home idea.

20 min

Gather Your Materials

3rd

Use your materials to build your tower or structure.

Cut, tape, fold, stack, or decorate the pieces as needed.

Focus on balance, shape, and keeping your structure standing.

100 min

Build Your Home

4th

Look at your structure and see if it stands up well.

Then take a photo of your finished home base (with your character) and submit it.

10 mins

؜Submit!

؜Great!

You've Completed

This sprint!