You Autumn Love This October Full Moon Pals!

Happy October Full Moon  Pals

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This full moon is in Aries on October 16, 2016 at 07:25 GMT.

October full moon names are: Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon, Kindly Moon, Blackberry Moon, Raven Moon, and Moon when quilting and beading is done.  This full Moon is also called the “Travel Moon” and the “Dying Grass Moon.”

After the fields have been reaped, the leaves begin to fall and the deer are fat and ready for eating. Hunters can ride easily over the fields' stubble, and the fox and other animals are more easily spotted. Some years the Harvest Moon falls in October instead of September.

Go here for a complete list of full moon names and the cultures that named them. Learn more about the Full Moon Names,  Moon Phases and Moon Facts at Planetpals!

SWAP and SHOP Curbside Now that’s a green idea!

Would a curbside swap work in your town and how does it work?

Here in the US we have several recycling alternatives.  One popular one, is an annual swap event at the town transfer station.  Each year the town of Concord MA hosts a swap and residents transport their disposed items to the facility and "drop off and swap off". . Our town has a town swap two times a year at the transfer station and it saves 500 tons each time from the landfill.  Imagine what you could do if it is curbside!

Some towns have permanent "swap shops" at the recycle facility Some have a permanent book swap, some a paint swap, and some a "put and take" shop for furniture and household goods.  Many facilities have all of these facilities in various buildings or trailers to recycle many kinds of reusable items. 

But sadly, not every town or place has or can have this.  Many cities have no space for a transfer station and rely on curbside pick up. Such is the case in the USA as well as the rest of the world. 

One of my favorite alternatives, I first witnessed was in Germany. The town of Ludwigshafen held two curbside swap and shop events each year.  They reserve specific dates for a Clean Out.  Residents leave good reusable items such as furniture, household, toys etc on the sidewalk between certain times and other residents can take them. Everything left over gets picked up by the town for disposal.  Certain conduct rules apply.   

The towns of Halifax and Saskatoon, Canada recently had just this sort of event, they called them Curbside Giveaway Weekend and Saskatoon Curbside Swap . 

The "Treasure Hunt" theme is modeled on highly successful events held in other Canadian cities. Residents in Ottawa have enjoyed biannual events since 2007 and Winnipeg began hosting the event in 2009. 

Here are some of the guidelines they used for their successful event:

• Rules for Setting out the FREE items
• FREE curbside items include
• Curbside Give Away Etiquette
• What shouldn’t be given away?
• What to do with leftover items
• Share your unwanted items year round

Would a swap like this work where you live? 

It seems that it could be a great green  alternative in towns that do not have a transfer station or swap facility available on a permanent basis or urban areas where most residents have little access to cars. It's a great way to recycle useful things and purge!  

Why not try this in your community or neighborhood? Or get your town recycle committee to organize such a "swap and shop" event.

It's a zero waste way to dispose!

How to Recycle it, Sell it , Swap it or Give it Away - Planetpals

Neighborhood, Community Swap Tips and Directions ... - Planetpals

Planetpals Earthday Swap Activity Ideas for The Classroom or ...

A World of Earth Costumes!

So Many Ways To Make An Earth Costume For Any Earth Holiday or Costume Celebration!

Here's an Earth contest competition, that is sure to go global!  India holds the Fancy Dress Earth Costume Competition each year. These are great world costume ideas for Earth  Day, Halloween, Mardi Gras, America Recycles Day, or Carnivale , and Earth Friendly!

The theme is Fancy Dress Ideas for Kids on Environment Day or Earth Day. They suggest students Explore Environment Day or Earth Day and Think about the Importance about the Day.

Each child is required to make a social statement about earth and each costume has to tell a story.   If you want to see them all in detail check out the website or UTUBE. There are a world of videos on the sites showing each costume from all sides and all angles. There is also some narrative.  Most costumes are based on the GLOBE but many concepts include Water, Recycling, Planting, Ozone, etc.

Fancy Dress options are based around following topics:

• Save Earth
• Clean Environment
• Re-Cycle Product
• Save Trees
• Save Animals

What Planetpals they are! 

I Have Chosen Some Of My favorite Fancy Dress Earth Costume Results Kids Did For Environment Day and Earth Day:

 

Many other recycle costume ideas at Planetpals.com 

Happy Peace Day Peace Pals!

Let's Make The World In One PEACE!

Peace Pal is a Planetpals.  © Judith Gorgone 

Learn more about peace, activities, games, ideas, solutions, history, more.

Happy Full Moon Pals!

This months full moon is September 16, 2016 @ 3:05 EST.  It's a LUNAR ECLIPSE – FULL MOON in the Astrological sign of Pisces. 

The Ancient Full Moon Names for September are: Harvest Moon, Singing Moon, Corn Moon, Blood Moon, , Mulberry Moon, Chrysanthemum Moon, and Moon when the calves grow hair. 

See the names for every month!

Learn more about the Full Moon Names,  Moon Phases and Moon Facts at Planetpals!

Make National Play Doh Day Natural Play Dough Day!

Why not try making natural Play Clay at home and bring home a healthy message.

National Play-Doh Day celebrates a great childhood play toy on September 16.

Invented in the mid 1950s, it has entertained millions of children, and allowed them to express their creativity, both at home and in the classroom.

The original invention was simple. A school teacher wanted a safe modeling clay for her pre-schoolers. She asked her brother-in-law Joseph McVicker, who worked at a chemical company, to come up with something. The result was simple....flour, water and food coloring.

You can do the same at home -- and it is healthier!  

Check out the variety of simple play clay recipes (there are cook and non cook, flour and corn starch recipes, and more) available on Planetpals.com with some ideas and patterns to help you teach healthy living, too. 

Lots of great recipes!

Teach The 4”R’s” and Paint Your School Bright GREEN

There are so many great ways to have a greener school yearl. This is Planetpals top ten list of SIMPLE ideas you can implement in your school, in no time, and with no cost!  All the while, encouraging GREEN habits, pro-active solutions and teaching the 4 “r’s”. 

1. Reusable Containers

Encourage everyone to use reusable containers to hold their snacks, drinks and lunches - so that no plastic or paper has to be thrown away. This is a great way to REDUCE!

2. Scrap Paper Box

Keep a scrap paper box in a convenient location. Encourage everyone to use both sides of the paper. This is a great way to Renew!

3. Ecology Craft Box

So many of the items normally bound for the garbage actually make wonderful craft materials.  Boxes, tissue paper, string, and plastic bottles are some of the items kids can use to make great projects. This is a great way to recycle!

4. School supply SWAP

Organize a school supply swap or have a swap box in the classroom for unused school supplies and books. This is a great way to REDUCE!

5. Book Swap:

Encourage additional reading! Organize a one-day book swap or have a “free book” bookcase in the classroom.This is a great way to REUSE!

 6. Organize a Planetpals “Walking School Bus” or Car Pool:

If kids live close to school, we love this idea.  Kids can learn to save energy and gas by using alternative means of transportation such as bicycle, walk or ride sharing. This is a great way to REDUCE! Learn more

7. Get Your Whole School to Recycle. Start a Planetpals ECO PATROL

Planetpals ECO PATROL is a great way to encourage kids In school. This is a great project for your class. if your school does not already have a recycling program in place.  If your school already recycles, see if your class can improve the current system. This is a great way to RECYCLE!

8.  Recycle Fundraisers: 

Good for the school good for the environment.  Recycle phones and ink cartridges.  Earn points and money for your classroom.  Encourage companies to sponsor your by donating their points. A recycle fundraiser gets everyone involved.  This is a great way to RECYCLE! 

9. School Beautification:

Teach kids to love their surroundings and earn a green thumb.  Start seedlings and later plant flowers around the schoolyard. Encourage them to maintain the garden. This is a great way to RENEW!

10. ORGANIZE a “PLANETPALS Day”.

Once a month or once a week.  Many schools have a” Planetpals DAY”. Do Planetpals recycle kits and activities to learn about earth and earth issues and encourage recycling. Why not have a recycle craft on that day! This is a great way to learn  ALL the 4 “r’s”!

Learn more about being green at Planetpals.com.  Hundreds of pages of content, info, ideas, crafts and downloads. Teachers Parents Pages, more.

Peace Crafts And Ideas for Peace Day

September 22 is International Peace Day and what better way to celebrate than participating in some peaceful activities and peace crafts.  

Peace Day Crafts Even You Can Do!

Take a look at these unique recycle craft ideas we have for you for Peace Day. Make one for yourself and spread the peace to a friend (or two)!

For additional peace crafts follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and go to the peace crafts section of Planetpals Website. We add them all the time.

Make a colorful Paper Plate Peace Symbol Recycle Craft 

From Ikidsclub Peace Website Make an origami Peace Crane and participate in the 1,000 cranes for peace project !

From Ikidsclub Peace Website Make a Peace Lantern.  Get the Directions here 

peace lantern

Cut out a Peace Sign and wrap it in wrappers, magazine pages etc. This one is wrapped in can strips-but we don't recommend that for children!

Candy Wrapper Peace Symbol

Soda Can Pop Tops Peace Sign is another great recycle crafts from greenupgrader

Can Top Peace Symbol

 From Craft Knife a simple idea for melted crayons Peace Sign. 

Melted Crayone Peace Sign

 A Peace Symbol CD Recycle Craft from Planetpals

Recycle CD Peace Sign 

Have a Peace Party! Make  Peace Symbol Cake or Cupcake:

Peace Cake and Cupcake

Looking for Classroom ideas, history and lesson plans to celebrate Peace Day? IKC has is all!  

Read these enlightening and fun ideas for peace in this International Peace DAY article, too.  Great for the classroom!

Loads More Peace Ideas and Crafts on Our Pinterest Peace Page

© jag Planetpals.com all rights reserved! 

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Shop The Town Swap And Save The Landfill

Divert thousands of tons of trash from a landfill while shopping green.

All over the country towns are implementing "Swap Shops" at town transfer stations or recycle centers.  

They make so much sense, that I haven't figured out why every town in the US does not have a swap shop! It's a no brainer, because it not only diverts trash tonnage from landfills, but it adds up to savings on town disposal costs.  For instance, the town of Dennis, MA diverts 56% of it's residential solid waste from the landfill due to their Swap shop "Take it or Leave it". 

What is a swap shop?  

A town swap can be a recycle center for just about everything. It's a put and take: a place to bring items and a place to shop for them for free.  

Each town runs theirs differently, some towns have only single book swaps or computer swaps.   But many towns have swaps for every recyclable category, often housed in multiple buildings or recycled trailors. Many are well organized and categorized just like stores and libraries.  Some buildings even have background music!  Many swap shops are maintained by city employees and others manned by volunteers.  

What amazes me, is how much stuff actually gets reclaimed, reused, repurposed and saved from landfills.   It seems that people find use for just about anything.  Residents can not only reclaim standard items such as clothing, kitchenware, furniture, sports and gardening equipment, but also reuse building materials. No matter how the shops are configured, they have one thing thing in common, and that is that they give new life to tons of old objects and recycle it all.  Items go as quickly as they come in!

Why doesn't every town have one?  

Every town has a small space that can be allocated for this project, but many towns do not consider them important enough.  My town had a book swap and a computer electronics area for several years, but recently closed them down, mainly because they didn't want to be bothered. It's a shame, because residents are often too overwhelmed, incapable or ill informed to find someone to take their stuff away and more often end up just tossing it into the trash. Hence, it goes to a landfill and much of it will never biodegrade.

So, whether the swap shops are affectionately named "Town Mall", "Put n Take", "Last Chance" or "Treasure Chest",  it's a concept that not only saves the residents and the town, but saves the planet!

If there is no swap shop in your town, why not take action and talk to your DPW or recycle committee.  It's good for the planet and greener in many ways.

Learn more about Swaps on Planetpals.com

How to Recycle it, Sell it , Swap it or Give it Away - Planetpals

Neighborhood, Community Swap Tips and Directions ... - Planetpals

Planetpals Earthday Swap Activity Ideas for The Classroom or ...

Some Yummy Recycle Ideas For Pizza Boxes

Creative Ways To Reuse Pizza Boxes In The Classroom. 

From Planetpals.com , Have students create their own Pizza Box folder for each semester or project to hold their papers and drawings. This one is by Andrew-9 years old-Great Great job!

 

From Teach Preschool.org,  An artwork Drying Rack.  This stacks up to one creative idea for any classroom or art space!

From Nashville Public Library, a Pizza box theatre.  why not stage a play based on a recent book the class has read? 

From Creative Jewish Mom  comes this Pizza box art.  Just imagine the ways you can decorate and recraft any size pizza box.

From Just Crafty Enough, a Pizza Box Diorama.  Turn it into a lesson plan on dinosaurs, animals, oceans, forests or any other topic.

The perfect place for artwork at school or home! A Pizza box portfolio by Crayola 

For more creative ideas for the classroom or homeschool see Planetpals Crafts Pages 

For more recycle ideas for BOXES see our Pinterest Page