The Israel Museum in Jerusalem is currently undergoing a massive renovation of its structures, but it emphasizes renewal in more ways than one. As part of the program geared towards children at the museum – which includes an imaginary prehistoric cave, water activities, and a special library – the Israel Museum’s Youth Wing offers a special recycling workshop.
The workshop encourages creativity with unconventional materials and, simultaneously, reinforces the value of recycling. Kids are taught to use what is available around them and to repurpose objects in innovative and unusual ways.
The museum staff collects industrial scraps from factories all around the country for this purpose, including materials such as tubes, caps, cloth, paper, sponges, and foam. The materials are then sorted according to shape, color, and texture and are made available to those in the workshop.
The workshop is geared towards children aged 4-8, and is a great activity for parents and children to do together.
Throughout the school year the workshop is open on Tuesdays from 4pm – 7pm, during July it is open on Tuesdays and Fridays, and in August the workshop will be open every day.
Israel Museum Youth Wing, Recycling Room: 02-6708963
See also:: New “Green” Curriculum in Beit Shemesh Schools, Reuse It or Lose It: Puppets With Something to Say
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
