Presents
Here's a way you can use pop cans to earn funds for new playground equipment...
It's as simple as 1, 2, 3!!
1. Collect as many cans as you can.
2. Check out the info below to see how you can use pop cans to have a PopCan Carnival to earn funds for this project.
3. After you have raised funds at your carnival, turn your pop cans into cash by taking them to a metal recycling company in your community. You will earn money for each pound of cans you recycle.
... Here's one suggestion for how to use your funds:
Think about your playground as a playground for Precious Species like butterflies and birds. Find areas of the playground you can make more Earth friendly by adding wildflowers, trees and native groundcover.
Your PopCan Carnival can be as large as a total school carnival or it can be held in one classroom. The following is a list of pop can games and activities you can use for your carnival.
1. Can You Guess? Try to collect some of your pop cans in large clear plastic bags. Some of the cans in the bag can be crushed. Count the number of cans per bag. Stack as many bags as possible together to create a huge pile. You can tie or staple the bags together. Count the total number of pop cans you have in the pile. Be sure to keep that number a secret. Ask the carnival participants to guess how many pop cans are in the pile. Collect their guess, name, and phone number and, place in a closed container. If you have more than one winner you have to share the prize. It is best to choose a prize that you can divide (like money).
2. Pop Can Bowling: Weight the bottom of 12 cans with plaster of paris, set up the cans like bowling pins, and use a softball as the bowling ball. Test out distances and use masking tape to create lanes and starting points. Decide which distance is best for different grade levels.
3. The Tower of Cans: In this game two participants compete to see who can balance the most cans on top of each other. Be sure that the ring pop tops are removed from the cans.
4. Can Crush: Participants compete to see who can crush the most cans in 30 seconds.
5. Swinging Cans: Attach weighted pop cans to a string and hang from the ceiling. Provide 3 tennis balls to each participant. Start the cans swinging and allow the participant 16 seconds to hit one of the cans with the ball.
6. Pop Can Pennies: Fully remove the tops from at least 12 cans. Fill them with rocks or plaster of paris to weight them. Set them all together on a table. With strong cardboard create walls around the table edges to prevent pennies from falling on the floor. Participants should have at least 10 pennies to toss into the cans. A winner should get at least 3 pennies into the cans.
7. Pop Can Pop Art: Create Pop Can designs by dipping cans into tempera paint and make creative prints by rolling the cans or stamping them or whatever comes to mind.
8. Pop Can Pyramid: Create a pyramid of cans that have been weighted only slightly. Use crushed pop cans to toss at the stack of cans. Give participants two tries to knock over all the cans.
9. Flying Canaries: Attach a hula hoop to a thin rope hanging from the ceiling. Push the hoop so that it sways from side to side. Provide the participant with three crushed pop cans to throw through the hula hoop as it sways back and forth.
10. Kick Can: Who can kick the can along a path the fastest? Create two paths marked out with masking tape. Have a race to see which participants can kick a can to the end of the path and back the fastest.
11. Float cans on water: Be sure the cans are sealed tightly so that they will float. Each can should be numbered and wrapped with a rubber band to which a pop top ring is attached. The number should match to a list with environmental issues and suggested answers. Provide the participant with a fishing rod so he or she can hook one of the cans. Then, match the can number to a question and if the participant can answer that question he or she wins a prize.
12. Can Golf: Use a can opener to open enough cans to create a miniature golf course out of cans. Place the cans on their side or create ramps up to the top of the cans for the ball to drop in.
Tickets: As your cans are brought into school ask the kids to remove the pop top hooks. These can be sold as tickets for the activities and then either donated to Ronald McDonald House or turned in for cash along with the cans.
Prizes: There are many creative ways to come up with prizes. One great way is to ask a local soft drink distributor or grocery store to donate cans of soft drinks as prizes. You can also ask for coupons for restaurants in your community. A selection of used items such as books, toys, and jewelry at each game site for the winners to choose from is a great way to "rouse" items.