Fresh And Fun Green Habits For Kids
I recently came across the Plume Air Report. The worst thing I saw is that you can find India has heavily polluted air. This breaks my heart to imagine the negative consequences it will have for our kids.
It’s our duty as parents to present a safe and healthy world to our future generations. So we have to start somewhere, right? And the best way is with our kids. In this article, we’ll discuss how to inculcate new and fun eco-friendly habits to our children.
By teaching your kids eco-friendly habits at an early age, they are likely to incorporate this green thinking as they grow up.
Visit the local landfill
The best way to teach your children to reduce waste is to take them to a landfill. Allow them to see the trash with their own eyes. Once the image gets ingrained in their minds, teach them to recycle stuff. Ask them to reuse clean containers instead of buying new ones. Create a compost bin to manage your family waste.
Feed the birds
Feeding wild birds helps them to nurture Mother nature, and it’s also a great stress buster. You’ll feel relaxed while watching the birds peck into the food. A small container of fresh water and a handful of grains can even make your balcony or window pane a little bird sanctuary. Your kids can make recycled bird feeders. Try to use eco-friendly paint and other non-toxic materials in creating the bird feeders.
Grow some potted plants with thick wooden stems and you’ll even find some nests and new hatchlings on your balcony.
Make your garden bloom with nature
Teaching kids to grow vegetables and fruits helps them to reduce wastage of food. If they get emotionally attached to the process of planting, watering, and harvesting the food they consume, they will think twice before wasting food. You can use your backyard to grow veggies like tomatoes, potatoes, onion, green chilies and ladies finger. Grow organic herbs in your garden, it not only adds greenery but provides a fresh supply of herbs to your daily cooking.
Build an enchanting butterfly garden
If you’re blessed with a huge garden space, plant lots of flowers in your garden. For the butterflies go to the local breeder and select those that live well in your area’s climate. Trust me! No kid can resist the sight of colorful butterflies fluttering around.
Other interesting measures to make your kids aware of the environment
- Get your kids involved in greener party planning, by using old decorations and handmade crafts using eco-friendly redesign ideas.
- Biking is an excellent way to teach your children the importance of saving gas. They also get a good workout
- Protect your kids from the zombie culture of watching too much TV or playing video games for long hours. Plan an adventurous trip to a nearby picnic spot instead.
- Inculcate the habit of giving their clothes, school bags, books and toys that are in good condition to the less privileged kids.
- If you live near the beach, pick an area near the beach, and have a cleanup party. Your child’s friends can also join in the fun.
- Instead of visiting supermarkets visit the local market and enjoy a fresh supply of fruits and veggies.
These pointers should give a good start to making your child aware of giving back to the environment and to Mother Earth at an early age. I am sure kids, with their innovative and imaginative minds, will add interesting points to the list too.
Swarnam John is an experienced health and wellness writer. She writes the blog healthyhomosapien. She is also a contributor to a couple of prestigious online magazines.