Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
Home
  • Playground
  • Surfacing
  • Parks
  • Athletics
  • Aquatics
  • Play
  • What You Need To Know About Curb Ramps
  • Combating Childhood Obesity
  • 9 Things You No Longer See on Playgrounds
  • Benefits of Nature Play
  • Train Themed Playground
  • The World is a Kiwanis Playground
  • child smelling sunflower outside

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Playground
  3. Nature
  4. Introducing Green Living To Your Kids

Introducing Green Living To Your Kids

Nature
November 03, 2020
Profile picture for user Noah Rue
By Noah Rue on
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print
67
young girl playing in field of grass

Teach kids to love nature

As a parent, it’s your job to introduce important topics to your children. Rather than letting them encounter the challenges and complexities of life on their own, you must take them by the hand and walk with them as they learn. 

This is as true for sustainable and eco-friendly living as it is for anything else. If younger generations aren’t taught why these concepts matter, they’ll never develop the desire to invest in them on their own.

Here are a few of the best ways to slowly introduce the idea of green living to your kids in a manner that is gentle, enticing, and thought-provoking.

Start by Unplugging

It’s recommended that children 2 to 5 years old spend no more than one hour a day in front of a screen — and even then, they should only be consuming high-quality programs. 

This helps to underline the fact that one of the first steps in showing your children the importance of preserving the Earth is disconnecting them from the alternative reality of their devices.

Go Outside

As you strive to unplug your kids and encourage less screen time, look for earth-friendly activities to steer them into. This doesn’t have to be complicated. On the contrary, simply encouraging them to go outside and play can be a great start. 

Experiential learning — i.e. “learning by doing” — is an excellent way to begin to broaden their mindsets and develop an inherent love for the Earth itself. Whether they’re playing, hiking, exploring, camping, or even visiting an outdoor fitness park, getting kids of all ages outside is the best way to begin teaching them how to think green.

Encourage the “Three R’s”

While supporting causes and voting for specific political candidates are effective ways for an adult to make a difference, when it comes to a kid, the best place to start is right at home. You can do this by encouraging the “Three R’s:”

  • Repair: Teach your children to extend and preserve the life of their belongings whenever possible.
  • Reuse: When something fails to perform its original duty, look for other ways to utilize it.
  • Recycle: When disposing of something, always remember to recycle when possible.

As you teach these behaviors to your kids, inform them about the impact that it can have on the world around them. For instance, when recycled plastic is used in manufacturing, it conserves nearly 90% more energy than when materials are created from scratch. By informing your child of these kinds of facts, you show them how they can make a difference.

Introducing Green Living to Your Kids

Introducing the concept of earth-friendly living to your kids doesn’t have to be boring or tedious. In fact, overwhelming them with fact-based pessimism and doom and gloom predictions is the opposite of productive.

Instead, look for simple ways to encourage your child to fall in love with their home planet. By cultivating a love of the Earth and showing them simple ways to be good stewards, such as the Three R’s, you can gently persuade them to invest themselves in sustainable living in the name of a stable future.

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
About text formats

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
Profile picture for user Noah Rue
Noah Rue
Published 2 years ago
Last updated 3 months ago
67
1
min read
A- A+
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • envelope
  • print

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

More About

Sep 01, 2006
Nature

Discovering Maryland’s Parks and Playgrounds

Playground Magazine
Playing with Flowers - Dr John Sutterby
Jun 24, 2013
Nature

Playing with Flowers

John Sutterby
Kayak Fishing with Kids
Sep 15, 2020
Nature

5 Tips for Kayak Fishing With Kids

Chelsea Smith
Boy wearing earphones.
Nov 05, 2019
Nature

How The Outdoors Can Help Children Learn About Indoor Air Quality

Jackie Edwards
Rusty Keeler and Katie Couric
Apr 28, 2014
Nature

Anarchy on the Katie show

Rusty-Keeler
Snow in Fox Lake in February?
May 01, 2007
Nature

Snow in Fox Lake in February?

Dan and Gini McKain
Introducing Your Baby to the Outdoors - 7 Safety Tips
Jul 21, 2020
Nature

Introducing Your Baby to the Outdoors - 7 Safety Tips

Gerber Childrenswear
Mar 19, 2018
Nature

5 Ways to Get Your Children Outside

Amy Honigsberg
2 boys with a rainbow trout
Dec 14, 2020
Nature

10 Easy Steps to Teach Your Kids Outdoor Fishing

Fishing Mood
Girl playing with dirt.
Nov 23, 2015
Nature

Getting the Dirt on Play

Jay-Beckwith
Image courtesy Roel Crul of Vorm en Ruimte, the Netherlands
Jan 05, 2015
Nature

Naturalistic Playscapes

Jay-Beckwith
Dec 18, 2013
Nature

Imagine a World in Which All Children Experience Nature in Their Everyday Lives

Susan Lipman

Nature Professionals

Bison Pumps
Bison Pumps
Manufacturer
More
KOOP Adventure Play
KOOP Adventure Play
Organization
More
Pop-Up Adventure Play
Pop-Up Adventure Play
Organization
More
Natural Playgrounds Company
Natural Playgrounds Company
Manufacturer
More
Home

Follow Us

Play and playground news and information since 2001

  • instagram
  • facebook-f
  • twitter
  • pinterest
  • linkedin

Company

  • Playground Magazine
  • Contributors
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Copyright © 2001 - 2023 Playground Professionals, LLC

Footer menu

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Terms and conditions