Ready to Jump-start the New Year with a Green Attitude? Don’t Miss These Seven Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids Green Living that have been inspired off of the 30Seconds Mom.
When families work on projects together, not only do they become closer, but the project becomes a principle that helps guide communal living. Creative green living tips for kids fit into this model perfectly and help you and your children form lasting habits that will turn into lifestyle changes in the new year.
If you’re ready to boost your relationship with the environment, to live a more healthy lifestyle and to take your family’s sustainable living to a new level, then read on to get our seven easy green living tips for taking your life into the green zone this year. Try one a day over the next few weeks and see how easy it is to make your lifestyle greener than ever before. Here’s how to get started:
Tip #1: Grocery Store Lessons
Before you head out to the grocery store, round up the kids and ask them what you need for a trip to the market. Encourage them to be creative in picking out what to bring, such as eco bags or reusable paper bags that will hold up the grocery items. The activity helps make them aware that some things can be recycled for future use. Next time, they know better than just throw out everything.
Tip #2: Lights Out, Everybody!
Take a tour through your house with your kids to model what it looks like to save energy by turning off lights in rooms where there isn’t any activity. To make the exercise more interesting, tell them ghost stories or folklore, or better yet, initiate a game in which everyone plays a part in a different room. Just make sure to give your kids a heads up that you are turning off the light as you leave. As you pass through other rooms, ask one of your children to do the same.
Tip #3: Make Recycling Fun
Recycling can be a pain, especially when you have so many stuff. The good news is, you can get your kids involved and divide the work among them. Position several large plastic containers in your house to hold and segregate all recyclable materials. You can place these bins or containers in your pantry or kids’ bedroom. Ask your children to label each container—paper, plastic, and metal. Alternately assign your children to take out the recycling to your larger yard bin once a week ahead of the pickup!
Tip #4: Wash, Reuse, and Donate
Challenge your children not to buy new clothes every month. This one doesn’t have to be very difficult. Explain to your kids that they have enough clothes at their disposal and may not need a new set every month. Teach them to fold or hang clothes that are clean. Denim pants can still be worn again if not dirty instead of washing after every single wear. Clothes that were outgrown can be donated to a local charity. This practice raises awareness about giving back to others and reducing waste.
Tip #5: Plant a Windowsill Herb Garden
I picked off this fun activity from the Mummy Fever. A windowsill herb garden opens your kids’ eyes on how nature beautifies the surroundings. Herbs are easy to grow. They can make a gorgeous accent to your interior spaces. Ask your kids to water them, which in turn teaches them to be responsible human being. With the help of Internet, you can show your kids the plant cycle and learn together about the different kinds of herbs and the care they require. If you have a backyard garden, then teach them other responsibilities as well that include, watering, mowing and fertilizing the plants and soil. You can find easy to use lawnmowers under 2000 on https://www.lawnmowery.com/best-riding-lawn-mowers/under-2000/.
Tip #6: Garden Plants Eating Challenge
Teach your kids to eat vegetables, herbs, and fruits that can be found and harvested from your garden. If your kids don’t want to eat them, make juice out of them. Instead of serving the kids chips during snack time, hand them a plate of bite-sized veggies or fruits with a tasty dip. It would help to talk to your kids about the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Encourage them to check out the garden and pick the veggies they want to try out for the day. Even better, ask them to wash, cut, and prepare, with your supervision, their version of a garden salad.
Tip #7: Visit a Local Farm
If you don’t have a garden in your backyard, take a trip with your kids to a nearby farm, where they can get closer to fresh and organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Many farms allow visitors to walk around and hand-pick produces, even eat within the premise. They also have elegant teak outdoor furniture for the children to catch their breath after they prance about in the garden. Your children will surely enjoy the experience and realize on their own that vegetables make an exciting, not to mention healthy, meal too.
Are You Ready to Go Green?
The new year means a new start for you and your family — and there is nothing like a green lifestyle to help you collectively work on a goal together and to do something great for the environment, and subsequently, the quality of your life.
The tips mentioned in this article are easy to adapt and very economical. Each provides a learning experience for the little ones.
