Games and Activities

Looking for some fun games and activities to keep the kids (or adults!) occupied?  Say no more, the Waste Education team have you covered!  Check out all of our educational activities below which promote the 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Please feel free to print out the worksheets for use at home, in school or with community groups.

Recycling Colouring-in

Make sure you colour the recycling bin the correct colour for the items in the picture!

Recycled Paper Colouring-in (PDF, 226 KB)(opens new window)

Garden Waste Colouring-in (PDF, 112 KB)(opens new window)

Recycled Metal Colouring-in (PDF, 78 KB)(opens new window)

Recycled Plastic Colouring-in (PDF, 59 KB)(opens new window)

Test Your Recycling Knowledge

Which Bin? Game (PDF, 440 KB)(opens new window) and answers (PDF, 544 KB)(opens new window)

Recycle More Crossword (PDF, 59 KB)(opens new window)

Recycle More Word Search (Easier) (PDF, 51 KB)(opens new window)

Recycle More Word Search (Harder) (PDF, 77 KB)(opens new window)

Recycling Scavenger Hunt (younger children) (PDF, 747 KB)(opens new window)

Reduce and Reuse Crafts and Activities

Learn what you can do to reduce your waste or try some crafts using things that would otherwise end up in the bin.

Make a useful carrier bag from and old T-shirt - no sewing involved! No Sew T-shirt Carrier Bag (PDF, 505 KB)(opens new window)

Try making a cute sock bunny and find a new use for those odd socks. Odd Sock Bunnies (PDF, 397 KB)(opens new window)

Watch how you fruit and veg peelings, leaves, and flowers decompose to make compost. Compost in a Bottle Activity (PDF, 6 MB)(opens new window) 

Use this Love Food Hate Waste Activity Sheet (PDF, 716 KB)(opens new window) to learn some easy ways to reduce the amount of food thrown away in your home. For this activity you'll also need the Food Diary (PDF, 350 KB)(opens new window)

Try this eco version of the top trumps game Eco Top Trumps (PDF, 1 MB)(opens new window)

Reduce your plastic use by making beeswax wraps (PDF, 174 KB)(opens new window) for your food as an alternative to cling film.

Find a new use for an old plastic bottle try a cute plastic bottle puppet (PDF, 40 KB)(opens new window) or plastic bottle bird feeder (PDF, 747 KB)(opens new window)

Health & Safety Information for Online Resources

The following example health and safety script, risk assessment and Safe Systems of Work for the downloadable activities can be printed or downloaded:

Heath and Safety Script for Recycling Activities (PDF, 63 KB)(opens new window)

Risk Assessment for Recycling Activities (PDF, 121 KB)(opens new window)

Safe System of Work for Recycling Activities (PDF, 22 KB)(opens new window)

Please note: these are for reference only and teachers/group leaders/parents/guardians should complete their own risk assessments and adhere to any school/group health and safety policies and procedures.