Environmental protection is an incredibly important topic. It concerns us all and can also be prepared in a playful way for younger children (from about 3 years).
The garbage monster called Grusel (“sich gruseln” means “to be frightened”), with which the children revived some (plastic) garbage, has been particularly well received in our day care centre in Grafenberg. You can easily create your own Grusel and we’ll show you how it’s done.
That’s what you need
- Cleaned plastic packaging, plastic bottles and lids
- Egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, old small wooden picture frames or similar
- Boxes/cartons (e.g. shoe boxes)
- For crafting: Scissors, strong double-sided adhesive tape, superglue or a hot glue gun
That’s how it’s done
1. Provide materials and talk about them
Provide your child with some cleaned packing materials and one or more boxes.
In this context, you can talk (adapted to your child’s age) about which materials have an impact on the environment, what recycling methods are available and how waste separation works.
2. Imagine the garbage monster
Your child can now decide what the monster should look like: Does it have two arms, or maybe four legs instead? Does it have hair or fur, and does it wear a headgear? Depending on your child’s age, you can make a funny sketch together.
Your child may also enjoy creating a complete character. Just ask where the garbage monster lives, what activities it likes to do most, or whether it might even have family? But be careful, it may be that the little monster children will also have to be tinkered afterwards 🙂 .
3. Bring the monster to life
Think together which materials are suitable for which parts of the body…
… and then you can start working on it. Have fun!