10 Activities for Kids to Learn About Sustainability
There’s never been a better time to teach kids the importance of sustainability. Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to get children on board with being green. Whether it’s introducing them to the basics of recycling or getting them to grow fresh produce outdoors, there are countless fun-filled activities you can organise to encourage them to embrace sustainability.
1. Recycle Items for Sustainable Art Projects
If your kids love art and crafts projects, incorporate the theme of sustainability when creating. Instead of heading to the craft store to stock up on supplies, consider what materials you have lying around the home that can be recycled.
Many materials aren’t recyclable, so instead of sending these off to the landfill, turn them into bespoke pieces of art instead. You can also introduce youngsters to the concept of upcycling. If a piece of bedroom furniture has seen better days, let them make it over with sustainable paints and repurposed materials.
2. Plant a Vegetable Patch and Herb Garden
Planting a vegetable garden is a great way of introducing little ones to sustainability. What’s more, your whole household benefits from homegrown organic produce. If your garden is large enough, think about creating some raised beds from reclaimed wood.
You don’t necessarily need a garden or outdoor space to grow your produce. A mini indoor greenhouse can be sufficient for growing things like leafy salads. Even if you’re limited to a windowsill, you can still grow fresh herbs like chives and basil with ease.
3. Make Your Own Cleaning Products
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels
If your family is committed to an eco-friendly future, it’s time to consider swapping out your cleaning products for greener alternatives. You can make effective all-purpose cleaners with everyday ingredients like white vinegar and essential oils.
The chemicals found in off-the-shelf cleaning products not only pollute the environment but can also impact indoor quality and trigger allergies. If your children are allergy sufferers, creating DIY cleaning products is a great way of showcasing how unseen chemicals can wreak havoc on health.
4. Introduce Kids to Composting
Home composting is essential if you’re looking to grow your own produce. Creating a compost bottle is a practical way of introducing youngsters to the concept of composting. Make sure you’re using a transparent bottle so they can keep an eye on the stages of decomposition.
Once the compost bottle experiment has been completed, kids can put what they’ve learned into practice to produce compost for the garden and vegetable patches.
5. Let Kids Take Charge of Home Recycling
Many adults still struggle to determine what can be recycled and what can’t. Children must be shown the basics of waste segregation and recycling at an early age. You can also use this as an opportunity to explain the various benefits of recycling.
Once you’ve instilled the basic information, you can assign your kids to recycling duty. To make life easier for everyone, invest in some storage bins and label them with recycling symbols to make quick work of the sorting process.
6. Get Them Reading About the Natural World
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Fostering a love of literature is good practice in any home. If you want kids to embrace sustainability, think about swapping out their usual reading materials for books focused on the natural world.
You can keep things simple with reference books and kid-friendly science journals, or explore the fiction aisle for engaging stories tied to the theme of sustainability.
7. Clean Up the Neighbourhood
Most children know not to litter. However, you can lead a more proactive response to the issue by leading your kids on a litter picking crusade. Chances are there’s already at least one litter picking group active in your area.
If you can’t find a group to join, take the initiative and start one yourself. All you need is a litter picker, some heavy-duty gloves, and a roll of bin bags and you’re good to go.
8. Use Rainwater as a Sustainable Alternative
It’s estimated that the average person wastes more than 135 litres per day. With many parts of the world experiencing devastating droughts, it’s vital that you educate your children about water scarcity and how to not to waste this precious natural resource.
Collecting rainwater is the perfect way to teach children how to be more sustainable. Any rainwater that is collected can be used to irrigate herb gardens and flowerbeds, putting less strain on your main water supply.
9. Make Homemade Paper
Believe it or not, it’s fairly easy to recycle old paper at home. You’ll need to invest in a papermaking mould to get started, but you can create pulp from old scraps of paper with an everyday blender and some warm water.
10. Work Out Your Carbon Footprint
In the United Kingdom, the average annual carbon footprint is around 12.7 tonnes of CO2 per person. If you live in a larger household, estimating your overall carbon footprint is a good way of demonstrating to children the impact we have on the environment as a species.
Once you’ve calculated your household carbon footprint, discuss with your children ways you can reduce it.
Final Thoughts
Instilling the basics of sustainability at an early age will ensure your kids maintain their green credentials into adulthood. For much younger children, focus on the fun aspect when organising activities. Little ones respond well to hands-on activities, so start by creating compost bottles and making inspired artworks with recycled materials.
As kids get older, you can start delving deeper into different areas of sustainability. It’s easier to get older children involved in things like managing water waste, sorting recycling materials, and calculating the impact of their carbon footprint.
Author Bio: This article was written by Michael Dinneen of NannyCity. NannyCity is a leading Nanny Placement Agency with locations in both NYC & CT.
