Kulsum Husain's eyebrows knit together in concentration as she holds her pink crayon and colours in the picture in front of her.
She is not yet aware of all the recycling stuff the older children are doing around her but the 2-year-old is clearlynhaving fun.
Her dad, Zakir, says little Kulsum just wants to mix with the older kids. He, on the other hand, pays more attention to the arts and crafts going on.
"When we get home, we'll try to do the stuff. It's a very good idea," he says.
Funmakers is a new group trying to help people see that recycling household items can be, well, fun.
Today, team leader Lynda Habraken is sprawled on the floor at the Hunters Plaza Shopping Centre, tracing a picture on to cardboard. The group's first foray into a shopping centre has already proven more successful than they had imagined.
The free programme ran the whole of last week. It started with 150 tin cans, 150 milk bottles, 200 cardboard tubs, 300 rubbish bags plus 150 egg cartons. But, by the third day, the fun was already running out of supplies.
When The Aucklander visits, six low tables are crowded with children busily cutting up, colouring and pasting eyes on to egg cartons that will soon become centipedes. Some of the children proudly show Lynda their creations.
"We want to give kids the idea that they don't have to throw everything away," she says. "If you look at your recycling bins at home, you can have a lot of fun. It doesn't cost much," she adds.
Among their masterpieces are drums made from tin cans and balloons, guitars made from milk bottles and rubber bands, and castanets made out of tins and a little rice.
"You can have three musical instruments that make a lot of noise and fun. The kids are engaged doing them and they can play with their creations," says Lynda.
She hopes the idea will catch on across the Auckland region. "We'd like to take this into schools, kindies and to other shopping centres.
"We are not a babysitting service. We encourage parents to come with their children. The idea is to teach the parents as well, so they can take these home with them," she says.
Along with Lynda are four teenage girls who are also passionate about art and children who help teach the kids the crafts.
Kulsum says she wants to come back "again and again". And she's going to tell Mum all about it.
For more info, email: funmakers@xtra.co.nz
Don't put your tins in the bin; craft your work of art
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