If you’re looking for some recycled art projects for kids, this recycled castle art project definitely fits the bill. It’s actually two ways a castle can be made from recycled materials.
One is a larger castle made of cardboard to inspire pretend play in the classroom. The other involves cardboard castles the kids create using items from the recycling bin. Of course, they’re not beholden to just using cardboard!
In creating recycled castle art, the kids really get a chance at problem-solving. This castle art idea lets the children explore STEM concepts alongside the creative aspect.
I think these castle projects would be perfect for a wide variety of kindergarten and preschool themes. We created ours during a unit on fairy tales. The group of students pictured here were so enamored with all things kings, queens, knights, dragons, and such. So we had a serious blast creating our own castles.
You can also try this idea during a construction theme, a STEM unit, or even an Earth Day celebration. Or you can just give a try any time of the year just because! The point is, you’re not really limited.
What are the Benefits of Recycled Materials in Art?
Oh, there are so many reasons to try a recycled castle art project with your students! Here are a few to consider:
- The materials are probably already in your recycling bin, so you don’t need to purchase anything new.
- You’re increasing the kids’ environmental awareness.
- The children are learning they don’t have to use traditional art materials to be artists.
- Lots of hands-on, creative opportunities.
- Depending on the items you’re using, you can integrate STEM components to the creation process.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of reasons, of course. If you have any reasons I should add, be sure to let me know in the comments at the bottom of the post!
Materials for the Cardboard Castles
You definitely don’t need very much to create the castles! Here’s what we used (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Small cardboard tubes
- Long cardboard tubes
- Empty tissue boxes
- Large, empty cardboard boxes
- Duct tape
- Glue
- Glue gun
- Acrylic paint
- Tempera paint
Keep in mind that you can adjust the list based on your personal preferences or what you already have on-hand.
Recycled Castle Art Project
During our recent fairy tale theme, we read tons of books with castles in them. We also looked at pictures of real castles from around the world. Our awesome music teacher even found some fun songs about castles for the kiddos to sing!
Based on the books we read and the pictures we viewed, the kiddos knew how different castles could look. This led to some great discussions about making our own castles.
Large Castle Made from Recycled Materials
Based on the children’s interests, I knew I wanted to turn our dramatic play center (we just call it the “home center”) into a castle for a few weeks. The children and I used a variety of large boxes their parents had sent in. If you can, I highly recommend asking your students’ families for donations if you need them.
Here’s what to do, based on how we created the large castle:
- First, unfold the boxes, cutting them apart as needed.
- Then use duct tape to tape the “castle” together. We placed the largest box in the middle, with smaller box pieces on each side.
- Finally, I used a box cutter to create a door for the kids to use.
No, it wasn’t the prettiest or sturdiest cardboard castle – but the children and I worked hard on it! And I’d rather have a non-pretty cardboard castle that the kids helped with than a Pinterest-perfect creation they had no hand in.
Once the castle was put together, the children decided they wanted to paint the castle. We probably should have done this part first, but oh well! They used a variety of tempera paint to decorate the castle walls. We ended up with a mix of white, blue, red, and pink. The students were SO proud of their hard work on the castle!
We were able to keep the “castle” up for close to three weeks. The children read, colored, and played in that castle every day during that time! We had to recycle it after a few weeks, as it just wasn’t structurally sound at that point!
Small Recycled Castle Art Project
The large castle was such a hit that some of my students wanted small versions, too. So of course I was more than happy to set up an individual recycled castle art project for them!
If you want to give this a try, too, here’s what to do:
- Place small recycled items out in your art center. We mostly used cardboard tubes and tissue boxes, but you can add different items as you have them.
- Put glue and tape out. If you’re available for it, have a hot glue gun ready, too.
- Then sit back and let the kids work their magic! You can be on-hand to assist as needed, of course.
When I set out the materials, I had no idea where the children would take the recycled castle art project. Five of the kids REALLY got into it! They stacked boxes on top of each other, glued tubes to each other to create flags, and even created beds for the royal family! One even used a few tubes to make a dragon for her castle.
Once the glue on the mini castles had dried, the children wanted to paint them. I set out some acrylic paints and brushes and let the children go at it. I loved watching them paint, and it was especially fun to see them work together on this part. Needless to say, we ended up with some very colorful castles.
More Fairy Tale Activities for Preschoolers
If the recycled castle art project was a hit with your students, here are some more fairy tale ideas to try:
- Dragon Sensory Bin
- Beauty and the Beast Beginning Sounds
- Fairy Tale Science Activity
- Dragon Handprint Craft
- Fairy Tale Name Activity
- Light Table Princess Crown Game
- Ice Castle Science for Kids
- Fairy Tale I-Spy Game
- Dragon Calendar Numbers
I hope these ideas inspire you! Be sure to save this post for future reference. A Fairy Tale Theme Pinterest board is a great place to start.
STEM Challenges for Kids
Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of planning time with our fully-developed early childhood resources. This way, you can focus on teaching and connecting with your students. We have hundreds of lesson plans, dramatic play packs, circle time songs, classroom management guides, digital games, and more!
I think our STEM challenges bundle would pair very well with the recycled castle art project. Click on the image below to get your own:
Join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today for exclusive access to our amazing products. We have multiple membership options for you!
Originally posted on April 7, 2014.
The post Recycled Castle Art Project for Kids appeared first on Fun-A-Day!.