Instilling your values in your children is a big responsibility, especially regarding sustainability. They’ll start learning about the warming climate early after seeing news headlines and hearing about weather-related disasters at school. Prepare them by making the topic less intimidating by using these fun ways to raise eco-friendly kids.
1. See Wildlife Up Close
It’s challenging to care very much for something that seems so far from your daily life. Your kids will go outside every day and hear things like birds and frogs, but they may need to interact with nature more personally to value the environment as much as their parents.
Find out where you can see wildlife up close in fun ways. Researching will show you where to watch sea turtles hatch or see wild horses graze. Your kids will feel personally connected to animals and always care more about any forms of waste that harm their natural habitats.
2. Look for Eco-Friendly Local Events
Your family likely sees the same events every year, like parades. Read more about those events to see if they’re sustainable or if there are alternative options available nearby. The fall festivals and spring parades might be fun, but they don’t teach your kids anything about the environment if they require burning tons of fossil fuels or littering.
Check out your local library, nature center or school district to find educational events where your family can learn and have fun.
3. Prioritize Reusable Products At Home
While it might be easier to use paper plates and plastic utensils during dinner, try to go reusable whenever possible. Your kids will learn by your example, so watching you throw out disposable goods constantly will tell them that’s OK.
If you’re worried about the cleanup involved, have your kids lend a hand. Implement a rewards system for washing dishes. Put together kits full of bright colored cleaning products, such as biodegradable sponges or microfiber cloths to replace paper towels. Make cleaning a fun family activity to make it less of a chore. You’ll forget about the convenience of disposables in no time.
4. Make Sustainable Crafts
Kids can learn about recycling plants at any age, but they may not care about reusing materials because it’s a mysterious process outside their homes.
Bring that practice to life for them by making sustainable crafts. If you turn plastic bottles into bird feeders or cut apart cardboard boxes and turn them into washi tape dollhouse villages, your kids will better understand the concept of recycling because the crafts are so much fun.
5. Start a Family Hobby
You want your kids to learn how to eat healthily, so the entire family eats the same nutritious foods. Doing things together is one of the most fun ways to raise eco-friendly kids. Teach your oldest kids how to sew and make clothes together or start a garden with your younger children. They’ll love spending time with you while learning lifelong hobbies that help the planet.
6. Try a Few Science Experiments
Combine a new love for science with a passion for the environment by conducting science experiments at home that teach concepts about the planet. You could mix two drops of food coloring in a small glass of water and pour oil into it. Your kids will watch the two separate while you teach them about oil spills harming the oceans. This type of experiment will turn a hands-on activity into a lasting value for the earth.
Raise Eco-Friendly Kids With Fun Activities
Take these fun ways to raise eco-friendly kids as inspiration for your next free afternoon or weekend. Whether you start teaching them about the environment at home, at local events, or in new places around the world, they’ll grow up caring about the planet and maintain sustainable values long after they leave home.
