How to Make Easy Recycled Moving Toys

Make the bulk of each toy from a single type of material, or make the materials easy to take apart, for the fastest and easiest recycling. For example, a toy made completely of cardboard or paper is easier to recycle than a toy made with plastic or metal.

Thread a piece of string or a ribbon through a cylindrical or spherical object for the easiest moving toys. For example, thread three feet of ribbon through a toilet paper tube and tie the ends together. A toddler will happily pull the toy around the house. Alternately, many balls of paper or plastic on a single length of string makes a good toy for a pet.

Make slightly more complex moving toys by glueing or taping objects together. Cut circles out of thick cardboard to make wheels, then punch a hole in the middle and at the four corners of the base of a small box. Put a piece of string straight through the box and two of the wheels, then tie knots on the outside to keep it attached. Decorate the box as a small car or fire engine with crayons, markers, paint or stickers, then add a string on the front so the toy can be pulled along. To recycle the toy, just cut away the string and drop all the cardboard in with paper recycling.

Let children help make the toys as a fun group project.