Ethan Lim may be just five years old, but he regularly donates his used toys to The Salvation Army at the encouragement of his teachers.

The Kindergarten 1 pupil at the Ang Mo Kio branch of The Salvation Army Child Care Centre has become more environmentally conscious since his pre-school began organising recycling projects last year, said his parents.

Yesterday, about 200 pre-schoolers from the four branches of the centre gathered for their first Recycling Carnival.

The afternoon carnival, held at The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters, featured games and crafts stations - all made out of recycled materials.

The four branches also announced that they will be joining the Start Small Dream Big initiative by the Early Childhood Development Agency.

In its third year, the six-month initiative will be having its online launch on Monday. About 20,000 children from over 300 pre-schools took part in the initiative last year.

"We are excited to encourage the children to use their creativity in recycling and giving back to society," said Mr Marcus Moo, director of social and community services at The Salvation Army.

At yesterday's launch, guest of honour Yeo Guat Kwang, NTUC assistant director-general, encouraged the 200 children present to start making a difference from young. "Change our world ," he said.