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Recycled toys are turning a modern educational trend to help children become aware of the meaning of environmental protection and reducing plastic waste. Furthermore, parents can create many unique items to help children develop their thinking. In this article, EuroPlas will show you Top 6 recycled toys from plastic bottles!

1. Methodology to make 6 types of recycled toys from Plastic bottles

It's not an exaggeration to say that you can recycle plastic bottles into many different types of toys which are suitable for children from 0 - 6 years old. Parents can guide their children to recycle plastic bottles into toys to increase connection between family members. Let’s check out the Top 6 useful recycled products from EuroPlas' suggestions!

1.1 Recycled alphabet from plastic bottle caps

Currently, the price of standard toys following the Montessori educational method is relatively high on the market. Therefore, the alphabet from plastic bottles helps parents save money and reuse plastic products in the family and aims to educate children to recognize letters.

The alphabet is mainly made from plastic bottle caps, which will create a sense of excitement for children and make it easy to remember throughout the learning process.

Preparation tools are also extremely simple, specifically as follows:

• 29 used plastic bottle caps and thoroughly cleaned.
• You can use a larger bottle cap to easily write letters on it.
• Using cardboard or old wooden boards.
• Highlighter and glue are also two necessary items.

Recycled Alphabet

The product has only 2 simple steps as follows:

• Step 1: You need to write all the letters in the alphabet on a piece of cardboard. It should be noted that the distance between the lines needs to be quite wide for the baby's convenience during the playing process.
• Step 2: You just need to write the corresponding letters on the plastic bottle cap and start the game. Parents will read the names of the letters one by one so children can find the bottle cap with the corresponding letter. 

1.2 Helicopter toys from plastic bottles

EuroPlas wants to introduce the following recycled toy to parents: a helicopter model. Children love to watch airplanes moving in the sky, so parents can guide their children to make this model and introduce them to the parts of helicopters. This also helps children increase their awareness of the world around them.

You need to prepare the following 6 materials before starting:

• Any used plastic bottles. You can use large sized bottles if you want to make a large airplane model.
• A ping pong ball.
• 3 straws.
• Scissors
• Paper cutter as well as specialized glue or plastic paste.

The method of making helicopter toys from recycled plastic bottles will include 5 simple steps as follows:

• Step 1: Remove half of the plastic bottle body and keep only the top attached to the cap. Then, use scissors to create a round hole equal to the tip of the straw in the middle of the plastic bottle cap.
• Step 2: You take advantage of the discarded plastic bottle body to cut another piece of plastic 3 - 5 cm long.
• Step 3: 3 straws will be cut into 5 parts to make the following parts: airplane wings (2 pieces), airplane legs (2 parts) and airplane tail (1 part). They are 4 - 5 centimeters long.
• Step 4: You link a straw part to the hole in the plastic bottle cap in step 1 to make the helicopter's tail. Next, you continue to bend the plastic piece prepared in step 2, and the two ends of the plastic part will be linked with 2 straws to make the legs of the plane. In particular, you need to bend the tail and portions of the aircraft, as shown below.
• Step 5: You connect the remaining 2 cut plastic straws into an "X" shape and glue them to the upper body of the plastic bottle to make wings for the plane. Finally, you fix the ping pong ball to the open part of the plastic bottle to form the head. 

1.3 Recycle colorful snake toys

To help children gain awareness about animals or reptiles, parents can recycle colorful snake toys from used plastic bottle caps. Normally, children will be quite scared and timid before images of reptiles such as snakes, pythons, etc. However,  this toy version will be very colorful, creating curiosity and excitement for children.
EuroPlas will suggest 7 items to prepare to complete colorful snake toys in the shortest time. As follows:

• You need to prepare plastic bottle caps with many colors. In particular, the number of bottle caps will correspond to the length of the toy snake.
• The bottle cap is round to make the head and tail of the snake. You need to prepare plastic bottle caps with many colors. In particular, the number of bottle caps will correspond to the length of the toy snake.
• 1 sheet of cardboard, colored pencils or markers.
• Screwdrivers, scissors as well as glue.

You can see that the preparation equipment is very simple and the steps will be the same:

• Step 1: The screwdriver will be heated over low heat to easily punch holes in the middle of all plastic bottle caps.
• Step 2: You will thread the string through all the bottle caps and secure the string at the head and tail of the toy snake.
• Step 3: You must ensure that the string is fixed at both ends and the number of bottle caps depends on the parents' needs and children’s preferences. 
• Step 4: Cut the cardboard into parts such as tongue, eyes or nose to decorate the toy snake. You use colored pens to make the toy more colorful.

1.4 Convenient recyclable pen box

One of the most useful recycled toys that EuroPlas will introduce to you is a pen box from plastic bottles. This is an item that children can use for a long time and can be used effectively in learning as well as saving money. In particular, this product can hold a lot of pens and can also become a decorative object for your child's study area.
7 simple materials that you need to prepare are: 

• 4 plastic bottles with a capacity of about 500 ml or if you want to make a larger pen box, you will increase the size of the plastic bottle.
• Two cardboard sheets with an area of 50x50cm.
• A compass and scissors.
• A colored pencils box to decorate or use colored paper.
• Glue gun or traditional glue.

After preparing all the tools, we will guide you in 5 simple steps to make pen box toys from recycled plastic. As follows:

• Step 1: You can choose 4 or 5 water bottles of any size and cut them in half. You need to note that we only keep the body part of the plastic bottle that does not contain the cap. You will adjust the recycled pen box's height according to the plastic bottle's size.
• Step 2: Cut a piece of cardboard into a circle to accommodate the corresponding number of pen boxes. It would be best to use a compass to accurately measure a process's diameter.
• Step 3: Use glossy paper to cover the pen box's entire inside and outside surface. In particular, to make the paint stick longer, you should apply a thin layer of glue or glue on its surface.
• Step 4: After the paint has dried and adhered to the surface of the plastic pencil box, you can decorate it with crayons with your child. This helps your children increase creativity and awareness of colors.
• Step 5: Finally, use a glue gun to fix all the pen boxes on the cardboard surface.

1.5 Lovely plant pots recycled from plastic bottles

Toys recycled from plastic bottles are very diverse and extremely economical and effective in educating children. In particular, each toy has its own unique educational methods. If parents want their children to learn more about nature and ornamental plants, you cannot ignore the simple recycled plant pot toy.

You only need to prepare the following 5 tools:

• A plastic bottle has a capacity of 1.5 - 2 liters.
• Scissors and a piece of hard cardboard.
• Specialized soil for growing plants, fertilizer and any type of seeds you like. Europlas encourages you to choose simple seeds.

It is not an exaggeration to say that recycled plant pot toys will be completed in just the following 3 steps:

• Step 1: For the most effective seed germination process, you should thoroughly clean all sides of the plastic bottle.
• Step 2: Use scissors or a knife to create small holes in the bottom of the bottle body. These holes will help the plants and soil drain and grow better.
• Step 3: You will line the inside of the plastic bottle with cardboard, this will improve the insulation of the recycled plant pot and keep the seeds in a stable environment.
• Step 4: You proceed to cover the surface of the cardboard with soil. Then, you sow the seeds and spread fertilizer evenly for the best growth.

1.6 Recycle rocket toys

EuroPlas believes that this is a fascinating and unique recycled toy. You can create an artificial rocket and let your children become the superheroes of their dreams. The product is very creative and not too challenging to make, and the cost could be more manageable. The recycled rocket toy will include 4 tools and 3 steps.

Preparation tools:

• 2 large plastic bottles with capacity from 1.5 - 2 liters.
• 2 spray cans of gray paint or depending on personal preference. In particular, you should not use red paint to avoid overlapping with the color of the "fire" part.
• 1 - 2 pieces of red fabric.
• One glue tube. 

Implementation process:

• Step 1: Spray paint to cover the entire body of the plastic bottle. Ensure the paint is completely dry and adheres to the plastic bottle before moving on to the next step.
• Step 2: The red fabric will be cut in the shape of a fire. To optimize this stage, you can draw a fire shape on the material and cut it according to the pre-drawn condition.
• Step 3: You attach the fabric sheets to the top of the plastic bottle with glue or glue. Finally, you use a glue gun to fix 2 plastic bottles on the cardboard and make a strap so the child can wear it on their shoulder.

EuroPlas has guided the Top 6 most straightforward and most effective recycled toys. However, these are still plastic products, so you must also understand some notes to ensure children's health and safety during contact.

2. Notes when recycling plastic bottles into toys

• You should not use PC plastic number 7 because of the BPA compound. This is a chemical that can produce cancer toxins when exposed to high temperatures.
• Parents must clean recycled toys before and after children finish playing with them. You preserve and store toys in well-ventilated places, away from sunlight.
• You must strictly prohibit actions such as sucking on toys to ensure absolute safety and avoid hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

• It would help if you did not use plastic bottles that are too old or left out for too long to make recycled toys because their quality has dramatically degraded and increases the risk of producing dangerous toxins.
• Types of plastic materials that should be used in the family include PET plastic, PVC plastic, PP plastic,... to ensure the health of your whole family!

You can work with your children to create and decorate products that EuroPlas suggests to stimulate children's imagination, curiosity and learning ability.

EuroPlas introduces the Top 6 recycled toys and the process of making them at home. These are helpful plastic products and contribute to protecting the living environment and increasing the importance of modern educational methods. Please continue to follow EuroPlas to update the latest news about plastic products!