Although recycling can be serious business–it saves the Earth, resources and even money–the best way to teach your friends and family about it may just be to play with play dough! That’s right. Playing with play dough can quickly teach your friends and family how recycling works, and you’ll have fun, too! Here’s how:

• With permission from your parents, make a batch of play dough (choose from one of the recipes on this page).
• Once it is made, gather your friends or family (after dinner, when you are all around the table, might be a good time for this).
• Give each person a small chunk of play dough.
• Ask each person to sculpt their play dough into one of the following items: a water bottle, a soda can, a milk jug, a piece of paper, a box.
• After they’ve done it, ask them to mush all their pieces into one so you can use it again.
• Then congratulate them! They’ve just demonstrated how recycling works! Old things get melted down, cleaned or smashed and can be reused to create new things.

Kool-Aid® Play Dough
(Stovetop)

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/4 cup salt
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 cup water

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar and Kool-Aid® in a medium pot. Add water and oil. Stir over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. When mixture forms a ball in pot, remove. Knead until smooth. Put in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
Source for recipe: teachnet.com

Edible Play Dough
(Microwave)

1 cup water
2 tablespoon oil
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg. Kool-Aid®, any flavor

Mix together water and oil. Microwave on HIGH for about 2 minutes. Remove and add flour, sugar and Kool-Aid®. Mix together with a spoon. Use it to make whatever you want. When it comes time to clean up - EAT IT!
Source for recipe: cooks.com

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