10 Easy Ways to Teach Your Kids Sustainability
How do we teach kids to be sustainable? By teaching them to cultivate the sustainable habits and lifestyles. As we battle against climate change deniers, work against disposability culture, and do the best we can to give them a better, greener planet, we must also teach them to take care of the planet so they can become stewards of that world. Little changes done over a long period of time by a planet full of eco-conscious people make for huge changes overall. With these ten eco-friendly teaching tips, we hope that these kids will grow into a sustainable future.
Plant a Tree
Planting a tree was one of the best memories from my childhood and it is one we should all pass on to the next generation. Planting a tree will give your child something that’s theirs that they can check up on, teach them about the value and process of growing things, and is a great opportunity to explain the importance of trees in combating climate change.
Fun Reusables
Teach them to have the confidence to say no to disposables early by bringing fun reusable items with you whenever you go to a restaurant or an outing. Whether that’s fun reusable straws or a reusable water bottle with their favorite character on it, give them something fun to carry while also teaching them good zero-waste habits.
Meatless Monday
If you aren’t vegan or vegetarian, a good way to reduce your climate impact that’s great for getting your kids involved is meatless Mondays. There are literally hundreds of kid-friendly meals out there without meat that can get your kids out of the “every meal needs meat” mentality.
Upcycled Crafts
Arts and Crafts are one of the best times to bond with a child, so why not turn it into a lesson on sustainability by making upcycled crafts? From toilet paper rolls dinosaurs to milk jug fairy houses, upcycled crafts is a fantastic and cheap way to teach a child how to see value where the rest of the world sees something to be discarded. Check out some upcycled craft ideas here!
DIY Zero-Waste Projects
Speaking about crafts, are you planning on making some zero-waste household products, like these cleaning and bathroom ideas? Another way to get your kids some hands on tips on how to be sustainable is to get them involved in a zero-waste DIY project. Whether you’re making DIY toothpaste, deodorant, or anything else around the house, find an age appropriate way to get them involved such as scooping out the baking soda or mixing ingredients in a bowl together, and explain to them why you’re doing it.
Litter Walk
Teach them the value of a clean planet by taking them on a litter walk. Take them on a walk to a local park or just simply around the neighborhood and make a game finding litter for you to pick up. Picking up trash is one of the simplest and most direct ways of helping the environment, and a good litter walk will be both environmentally friendly and a great form of exercise. And when they're older, have them try plogging!
Worm Power
If there are two things that every kid loves, they are dirt and worms. Use this to your advantage by starting a worm farm. Worm composting is a fantastic, natural and easy way of getting rid of fruit and vegetable scraps that’ll teach kids about the circle of life and composting. Plus they’ll love feeding and checking in on their worm friends.
Pack A Waste-Free Lunch
When they’re old enough to go to school, packing waste-free lunches is a great way for kids to really feel how easy it is to be waste-free at an early age. Instead of unhealthy school lunches and lunch boxes full of plastic, you can teach kids the value of reusability and taking care of the planet beeswax wrappers, metal utensils, and other reusable items.
Read about Sustainability
There are plenty of children's books out there that are both entertaining and contain valuable lessons about the environment. Check out these awesome books and more, while making sure that these valuable lessons about the planet are a regular part of your child’s life.
Take them outside
Finally, the absolute best way to get a child to care about the environment is to have fun in the environment. Whether that’s outings to a local park, going camping, a beautiful summer picnicking, or simply visiting a community garden, creating fun and exciting outdoor memories is the best way to get them to care about preserving the planet for future generations.
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