Make an Upcycled Jellyfish
Recycling benefits land and oceans. Rather than throwing away plastic bags, kids can creatively reuse them to create this mesmerizing jellyfish in a bottle.
Materials
Directions
Flatten the bag. Cut off the handles and the bottom. Cut along both sides to split the bag into two plastic sheets. You only need one of them so be sure to recycle the rest!
Gather the center of the plastic sheet into a tiny balloon to form the head. Secure the balloon with thread— not too tightly. Leave a small opening in order to pour some water into the “head.”
The remaining plastic, below the tied thread, will be the jellyfish's tentacles. Cut from the bottom edge up to the head to make about eight to ten tentacles. Cut each tentacle again into three or four smaller pieces. Trim to make some longer and shorter tentacles.
Fill the head with water — leaving a little air inside to allow the jellyfish to float — and then tighten the string.
Fill up your water bottle. Then put your jellyfish in the bottle head first, along with a few drops of blue food coloring. Screw on the cap and shake lightly. Make sure the cap is properly closed and tight before you give it to children!
Encourage your kids to turn the bottle upside down— they'll be surprised to see the jellyfish move every time they turn the bottle.
Explore Further
- Talk about the physical similarities between a plastic bag and a jellyfish in water. What animals eat jellyfish for food? What might happen to a sea turtle who sees a plastic bag in the water and thinks it is a yummy jellyfish?
- Encourage your child to recycle by dropping off your plastic bags together at a local grocery store — many stores have collection centers for plastic bags!
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