What Kind Of Recyclables Do You Have Lying Around?
Most of us have household items that can be reused and recycled into fun things for learning or games!
If you looked inside your household recycling bin, junk drawer, kitchen cabinets, or storage areas, what recyclable and reusable treats might you find? If you are like most people, you will find odd and ends of items that unfortunately also usually end up in the waste stream.
These might include cardboard rolls from toilet paper or paper towels, office supplies, bottle caps, out of date food, old tape, cardboard boxes, painting supplies, holiday decorations, wrapping paper, popsicle sticks, and more!
We DID look, and we found many of the same items just waiting to be reclaimed into something fun and useful. So, what did we do? Harmony Enterprises teamed up with Harmony Kids Learning Center to teach the kids about sustainability and reuse during their annual Music Unit this past week.
Working Together To Achieve Our Goals
When asked to once again provide content for the Music Unit at Harmony Kids, Harmony Enterprises’ New Business Development Manager, Lane Powell, looked for a way to provide a meaningful lesson that crossed curriculum. An idea emerged: Why not teach about sustainable recycling and reuse while having fun and teaching music at the same time? It is a natural fit between Harmony Enterprises’ mission of making the earth a better place for generations to come and Harmony Kids’ responsibility of nurturing the growth of each of its students in all subject areas, including the arts.
Harmony Kids Learning Center Students and Staff Made Their Own Instruments Out Of Recycled Materials!
This year’s Music Unit consisted of two separate sessions. The first was an informal presentation to the students and staff on how to make musical instruments out of everyday recyclable materials. These tasks challenged the students to listen and follow instructions, utilize fine motor skills, and encouraged artistic expression.
Students in both of the preschool aged rooms learned how to build percussion shakers out of used cardboard rolls from toilet paper, construction paper, tape, and any recyclable material that can make a “shaking” sound. Students and staff used old popcorn kernels, paper clips,holiday jingle bells, and more to fill the inside of their shaker tubes. Once they were designed, the students spent two days decorating their own shakers to take home at the end of the week.
The school aged children were tasked with a more ambitious project. They made shoebox guitars with used cardboard boxes, popsicle sticks, rubber bands, paper towel rolls, and tape. They were also encouraged to make their guitars unique by decorating them in an individual way.
Dropping Beats With Recycled Treats
After their instruments were made and decorated, each class got a play-a-long lesson about beat and rhythm!
The second session of the Music Unit featured a lesson to all groups about the meaning and differences between the musical concepts of “beat” and “rhythm”. Students learned about the different types of beats found in music, and the variety of rhythms that can be used over them. They played their own new recycled instruments along with popular music tracks on the learning center’s SmartTV. The students laid down fresh beats to jazz swing, pop, reggae, shuffle, marches, waltzes, techno, and rock-n-roll music. They truly were dropping beats with recycled treats!
Thanks to the Music Unit at Harmony Kids Learning Center, the students and staff now have a greater appreciation for the creative ways we can all use recyclable products for fun and meaningful projects. Just as importantly, we all have a better appreciation for the way that the waste handling and recycling industry is undeniably connected to the future of these bright young children.
Harmony Enterprises’ Core Purpose is our Career, Community, and Culture.
Harmony Enterprises manufactures balers, compactors, and beverage extraction equipment for satisfied customers all over the world. In addition to making quality equipment and providing outstanding customer service, we value our community and choose to enhance it by remaining active within it. If you would like to learn more about our company, or our many products and services, please Contact Us or call us at (507) 886-6666 today!
