Books on Recycling for Preschoolers

Mar 11

It’s never too early to teach our children to take care of the Earth, so we wanted to share a few of our favorite books on recycling for preschoolers. It can be hard for preschool-aged children to grasp abstract concepts like recycling—they learn best when they can interact with things and see concrete examples or demonstrations. We can teach them to sort their recyclables into a different bin (a worthwhile math and science exercise!), but without further explanation, they won’t know what happens to the items or why it’s beneficial to the environment. Here is where books can go a long way towards teaching children the ins and outs of recycling, as well as the impacts of their everyday actions. Our families love the following books on recycling:

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The Adventures of an Aluminum Can

What happens after you throw an aluminum can in the recycling bin? And where did it come from in the first place? Well wonder no more, because you can read all about it in this story, told through the diary of an aluminum can! It’s informative, clever, and hilarious, especially for kids on the older end of the spectrum.

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Why Should I Recycle?

This book delivers straightforward, science-based lessons on the importance of recycling. Children will come away with a greater knowledge of the recycling process and some concrete actions that they can take in their everyday lives to make a difference.

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I Had a Favorite Dress

Many children have a favorite object, whether it’s a beloved stuffed animal or a well-worn article of clothing. And we know there inevitably comes a time when they will need to part with said object in some way—they may lose it or simply outgrow it. In this darling story, we see a young girl creatively deal with what happens when she outgrows her favorite dress. Her dress goes through several transformations, and children learn not to “make mountains out of molehills” and find a way to repurpose things that no longer serve a purpose for them.

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1, 2, 3 Who’s Cleaning the Sea?

Incredibly detailed drawings of sea creatures dealing with pollution in the ocean are coupled with counting concepts in this captivating book. When children see some of their favorite sea animals working hard to clean up their homes, they’ll be better able to empathize with how their actions affect others. The text is simple, which allows young children to easily digest information about the waste we create and its impact on the ocean.

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What a Waste

A delightfully colorful and fact-filled book, What a Waste covers everything a young child might want to know about waste. It goes beyond just recycling and talks about various aspects of waste and conservation. The facts presented are quite eye-opening (even for us adults!), but the author offers specific suggestions for what we can do to help our planet. This book might be better suited for older children, but it’s easy to follow a younger one’s lead and read shorter passages that catch his or her eye.

Happy reading!