Reusing, recycling and reinventing are fun ways to insert the topic of sustainability into conversations and games with children, encouraging them to use their imagination to create toys from recyclable materials, such as paper packaging, cups and straws, and toilet paper tubes.

What’s more, repurposing items that would otherwise be thrown in the trash is a way to stimulate a child’s brain and bring families closer together. Here you will discover what is so good about engaging children in recycling.

1. Fostering creativity

Creating toys from recyclable materials encourages children to think outside the box and give a new—and very exciting—purpose to things that would otherwise be discarded. As child educator and parenting coach Gerusa Gasparini points out, “Children often use cardboard boxes and packaging as toys. This is a natural childhood phenomenon, because children want to create. When you offer ‘raw’ materials, they start to imagine and develop their ideas, which is fantastic for increasing creativity and motor coordination.”

2. Conscious consumption

Recycling and reusing also teaches that, when it comes to playing, we do not need to buy something new. “When children work to create their own toys, they understand that they can transform things that would otherwise be thrown away into something new and useful,” says Gerusa.

3. Commitment to sustainability

A study done by researchers from the Psychology department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences including 180 children between the ages of seven and eight and their caretakers found that it is easy to engage children in recycling. To do so, we simply need to follow the “commitment strategy” by having children take active roles within a group, such as encouraging recycling among friends and colleagues, collecting recyclable materials and sharing information on the topic. The results are even better when the family engages in the activity together with the children.

4. Strengthening family ties

One of the main reasons why these activities are important is that they strengthen family ties. The act of creating and playing as a family reinforces emotional bonds. “When you put aside other activities, such as being on your cell phone, for example, and is fully present with your child, you strengthen bonds, create a deeper connection and make your child feel important. They realize that they are being seen and that they are a priority in that family,” says Gerusa.

5. Emotional development in childhood

Children who play with their parents feel valued—which is essential for their emotional development, especially between the ages of zero and seven, when their personalities are being formed. “Up until the age of seven, children are forming their personalities. During these years, they need less screen time and more engagement with people from their family. Even if they end up losing interest in this way of playing, the connection and memories created remain,” adds the educator.

Want to know how to create a more sustainable future for the next generation? Learn about Suzano products, such as paper cups, straws and packaging, which are renewable and reflect sustainability throughout their entire production process.

‍