There’s nothing like setting an example for your children. Using green cleaning products and buying a car with good gas mileage are excellent activities for your kids to observe. However, examples can only go so far. At a certain point, your kids are going to simply be uninterested or even unaware of what you’re doing.
If you’ve found that your green living tendencies are a bit too lackluster for your kiddos to pay attention, here are a few ways you can infuse your eco-friendly activities with some kid-focused fun to perk up the imagination.
Compost, Garden, and Cook Together
Food is a great way to introduce kids to environmentally-friendly concepts. This can happen in multiple ways throughout the growing and preparation of the food itself. For example, you can:
- Create a compost pile to limit waste and identify compost scraps with your kids, while explaining how composting works and what the leftover compost can be used for.
- Build an outdoor veggie garden in the warm weather and an indoor one in the winter.
- Harvest and buy ingredients side by side and then cook meals together in the kitchen.
Food is an important part of life. It’s the perfect opportunity to bring up the desire to create a sustainable environment for all life on the Earth, too.
Go Thrift Shopping
Of course, one of the easiest ways to engage in a fun and eco-friendly activity is to head to the thrift store with your kids. This gives you a chance to show them how easy it is to repurpose used items without the need to consume new things.
If you do this, though, make sure to avoid fostering a consumerism mentality. Instead, have your kids help you come up with a list of things that you need around your home. Then go to the thrift store looking for creative second-hand solutions.
Get The Kids in on Event Planning
Another great way to involve your kids in eco-friendly activities is to have them help you plan events. This is especially true if the events are geared toward them.
For instance, if your child is having a birthday or you’re getting ready to host Christmas, you can team up to plan a zero-waste party. The fact that the event is for them will make it particularly engaging. At the same time, it will open up numerous opportunities to discuss things like single-use plastic cups and silverware versus compostable alternatives.
Go for a Hike or a Bike Ride
Going for a walk, hiking a trail, or riding a bike are all great ways to help your kids avoid boredom. They’re also wonderful ways to teach them about eco-friendly living.
Use these natural transportation activities to talk about the effects of carbon emissions. Encourage them to use Earth-friendly options to move around whenever they can, as well.
DIY, Repair, and Reuse
An activity doesn’t have to be “youthful” or even specifically kid-oriented to be fun or educational, either. One simple and easy way to get your kids in on eco-friendly action is just by sharing projects with them.
For example, if you’re going to embark on a sustainable home improvement project like installing a solar panel or adding insulation, invite your kids to come alongside you to help. Talk to them throughout the activity and explain why it’s important to consider these things when maintaining your living spaces.
Even if you aren’t doing something as big as a home improvement project, you can still have your kids join you in your DIY activity. If something breaks, have them help you fix it. If an item is broken beyond repair, ask them to come up with a creative way to repurpose it into another part of your life.
Going Green with Your Kids
Finding engaging eco-friendly activities doesn’t have to be something reserved only for the classroom. It can also happen right in your own home. From gardening to cooking, hiking to shopping, party planning to DIYing together, there are plenty of ways to teach your kids about eco-friendly living in a fun and enjoyable manner.
Author: Noah Rue
