As part of our local shire’s sustainability focus Wesburn recently undertook an audit of our litter, rubbish and recycling. Part of that was a count of litter and rubbish around the fenceline of our school. We found so little rubbish around the fence that the council asked us – how do we do it?
Well the answer is child’s play! As well as a strict policy that children do not take wrappers outside the classroom at recess and lunchtime we also have a special extra tactic – Pick up Five!
Our kids love this game, and they pester our staff on yard duty constantly to play it! It’s a simple game – the students seek out the staff member on duty, and then they run off and hide. If the teacher sees them again in the yard, they call out the student’s name. That student has to go and pick up five pieces of litter, and present it back to the staff member, before binning or recycling it. Then they rejoin the game. It becomes a great game of cat and mouse for the kids, who love peeking around the corner, calling out our name, and then running off in the opposite direction!
But it’s fun, simple and effective.