8 Fun and Sustainable Activities to Do with Kids at Home

Staying at home with children can be a challenge, especially when we try our best to avoid them spending too much time in front of a screen, instead trying to stimulate their creativity and care for the environment.

At Petit Fox we try our best to promote respect for the planet by reusing children's clothes . who still have so much love to give. In addition to clothes, today we bring you 8 ideas for fun and sustainable activities to do with children at home, using recycled or natural materials. Have you tried any of these with your little foxes?

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1. Bottle cap memory game

A simple and fun way to reuse bottle caps is to turn them into a memory game. All you need are matching bottle caps, paper, scissors, glue and pens.

Cut out circles of paper the same size as the bottle caps and draw pairs of different figures, such as animals, fruits, letters, numbers, etc. Glue the circles onto the bottle caps and you're done! Now just shuffle the pieces and try to find the pairs.

2. Terrarium with a plastic bottle

A terrarium is a mini garden inside a transparent container, which can be made with a plastic bottle cut in half. You will need soil, pebbles, activated charcoal, moss and small plants, such as succulents or cacti.

Place a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the bottle, followed by a layer of activated charcoal, which helps prevent bad odors and mold. Then, add a layer of soil and plant your chosen plants. Finally, place some moss on top of the soil to add a touch of green.

Water the terrarium lightly and cover the bottle with the other half cut off. Place the terrarium in a bright place, but without direct sunlight, and show your children how it stays alive without needing much care.

3. Musical instruments made from recycled materials

How about making a band with musical instruments made from recycled materials? You can use cans, jars, bottles, corks, rice, beans, toothpicks, rubber bands, etc. Here are some ideas:

• Drum: Use a clean, empty can and cover the mouth with a stretched piece of cloth or plastic. Secure with a rubber band or tape. Use toothpicks or spoons as drumsticks.
• Rattle: Use an empty, clean plastic bottle and place a few grains of rice or beans inside. Cover the bottle tightly and shake to make a noise.
• Flute: Use a clean, empty plastic bottle and fill it halfway with water. Blow into the neck of the bottle to make a sound. You can vary the amount of water and the angle of the blow to change the sound.
• Guitar: Use a clean, empty shoe box and make a round hole in the middle of the lid. Attach rubber bands of different thicknesses over the hole, stretching them to the sides of the box. Use toothpicks or straws to lift the rubber bands slightly on the edges of the box, making a bridge. Tape the rubber bands to the sides of the box. Now just pluck the rubber bands to play.

4. Painting with natural pigments

Did you know that it is possible to make natural paints with fruits, vegetables, flowers and spices? Tinctória is a Portuguese brand of natural paints and dyes made from bio-waste, without any health risks, meaning they are ideal for little ones.

In addition to selling their own paints, they also organize workshops that not only bring a lot of fun but also teach children the importance of the circular economy.

5. Puppets made from old socks

Do you know those old socks or socks that are lost at the bottom of the drawer? You can turn them into fun puppets to tell stories to little ones. You will need socks, glue, scissors, buttons, wool, felt, pens and other materials of your choice to decorate the puppets.

Place the sock on your hand and bend the tips of your fingers inwards slightly, forming the puppet's mouth. Glue a button on each side of the mouth to make the eyes. Use wool to make the hair, and felt to make the nose, ears and other details. Draw the mouth, teeth, eyebrows and other features with the pens.

Use your imagination to create different characters, such as animals, monsters, princesses, pirates, etc. Story time will definitely be much more fun!

6. Origami with recycled paper

Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper to create various shapes, such as animals, flowers, objects, etc. You can use recycled paper to make origami, such as magazine pages, newspapers, notebooks, etc. All you need is a pair of scissors to cut the paper into squares and follow the instructions for each origami model.

You can find several tutorials on the internet or in origami books. Some easy ideas are: the boat, the plane, the hat, the bird, the flower and the star.

7. Homemade plasticine

Play dough is a toy that stimulates children's creativity and motor coordination. You can make homemade play dough using simple ingredients that you have at home, such as wheat flour, salt, water, vegetable oil and food coloring.

Mix two cups of flour with a little salt in a bowl. Gradually add a tablespoon of oil and half a cup of water, stirring well until you have a smooth dough that doesn't stick to your hands. If it's too dry, add more water. If it's too soft, add more flour.

Divide the dough into equal parts and add a few drops of food coloring to each part, mixing well until all the dough is colored. You can use different colors to make colorful play dough. Store the play dough in closed jars or plastic bags so that it does not dry out.

8. Mobile with dry branches

A mobile is a hanging ornament that moves with the wind or a gentle touch. You can make a mobile using dry branches that you find in nature or in your yard. You will need dry branches of different sizes, string or yarn, scissors, and light objects to hang from the branches, such as feathers, shells, stones, dry leaves, etc.

Choose a larger, thicker branch to serve as the base of the mobile and tie a piece of rope to the ends of the branch to form a loop for hanging. Then choose other smaller, thinner branches and tie them to the larger branch with pieces of rope of different lengths.

Finally, tie the light objects to the smaller branches with pieces of rope of different lengths. That's it! Now just hang the mobile in a place that is exposed to wind or movement and admire your work.

Did you like the ideas? Do you have any more that you would like to share? Leave your comments below and… let’s get to work!