Captain Can and the Birthday Surprise

Sponsored by the City of Austin Solid Waste Services
Directed by Judy Matetzschk-Campbell, Ph.D.

Designed for students in Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2, Captain Can and Mr. Wasteful is offered free of charge to AISD elementary schools. Please click here to download teaching materials.

As you and your students might remember, Captain Can came to Earth looking for a new place to live because his home planet became so filled with garbage that no one could live there. No one on his planet knew how to recycle. Upon arriving on Earth, Captain Can met his new best friend, a little girl named Tina who helped him learn the importance of recycling. The two friends are now a team who work together, helping the children of Austin learn how easy it is to save the environment through reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling glass jars, metal cans, plastic bottles and paper.

This year’s plot finds Captain Can and Tina in a whole new story: Captain Can And The Birthday Party Surprise. A new family has moved in next door to Tina and the new little boy next door is named Rex. Tina has already taught Rex all of the details about recycling and how to sort recyclable materials from his family’s garbage. Rex understands how important it is to use the City of Austin’s recycling program and help keep waste out of the city’s landfill. But this is all new information for Rex’s parents. The last town they lived in didn’t have a recycling program.

When we meet Rex, he is very sad because he can’t get his parents to recycle. They seem to think it is too complicated and will take too much time. Like many adults, Rex’s parents are so busy working everyday that they think they don’t have the time and energy to recycle. Tina shares this concern with Captain Can who comes up with a plan to help Rex.

The coming Saturday will be Rex’s birthday and a party is in order! Captain Can and Tina organize a very special birthday party for their new neighbor and invite Rex’s parents to come along for the fun. At the party, Captain Can entertains the partygoers with some very special magic tricks that turn items from the garbage into useful, new items! Rex’s parents are amazed! Then, Captain Can tells them that they, too, can make magic. All they have to do is learn the quick, easy way to sort their household’s trash and use the City of Austin’s recycling program.

Captain Can then introduces the parents to Mr. Sort, a friend of his who is made completely of recycled items. Using music and humor, this new puppet demonstrates for them (and the children in the audience) how to properly sort materials directly into the blue recycling bin.

Please call Jan Dolph, Solid Waste Services, at (512) 947-1929 for reservations or more information.