By encouraging a child’s curiosity and sparking their interest about the natural world, it can help instill environment-friendly behavior and help them consume less. A study out of Brown University found that habits and routines could take root by third grade1. Therefore, childhood may be the best time to establish eco-friendly practices. Here are a few tips to Teach Kids About the Environment.
1. Take kids on thrifting trips
Thrift shopping is a great way for young ones to develop an appreciation for sustainability in clothing and other used items.
2. Sort trash
Turn trash sorting into a game and teach children how to look at different recycling labels. This way they have an early lesson about what to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
3. Composting
Composting is a fun way to drive the message on biodegradable materials. Try leftover food, dead leaves and flowers, and pet waste. Composting piles work great for those with the yard space. Otherwise, a compost bucket is a practical option.
4. Gardening
There are plenty of convenient indoor and outdoor gardening kits for any garden size, even for families in high-rise apartments. Start them young with decorative house plants and herbs. It’s a brilliant way for them to learn about how plants and animals process carbon dioxide and oxygen. If you’re planting herbs and vegetables, they can help harvest and see how much money can be saved by growing your own.
5. Save water
Once children are independent enough, encourage them to take quick showers instead of filling up a bathtub to help lessen water consumption3. They can even take a bucket into the shower and re-use what they collect for watering plants. While brushing teeth, also check that they keep the faucet off and use cups for rinsing, instead.
6. Get sun power
A survey from 2019 found that 48% of children own their first mobile phone by age 104. Take this as an opportunity to introduce them to solar power by gifting them solar-chargeable battery packs for their mobile devices. Solar-powered STEM toys are also a great idea for birthday and holiday presents.
7. Go off-the-grid
Being connected to nature could positively impact children’s happiness, a study suggests2. Take kids on camping trips over the weekend or on school holidays. Hiking, trailing or fishing at the closest nature reserve, or a simple picnic at the park during the day are also easy ways to get them unplugged and off the screen.
8. Create an unplugging checklist
Get children involved in the practice of turning off appliances and unplugging electronics that are not in use. To help them form this habit, build a list for them to check off during the day, and before bedtime.
9. Camping at home
Not everyone can afford to scoop their youngsters up and be away for hours on end. One creative way to keep them occupied and simulate outdoor camping is by building a tent indoors (and turn the lights off) or in the backyard. Introduce board games, and similar activities for entertainment.
10. Collect rainwater
A handful of household chores, such as gardening and washing cars don’t require sanitized water. With a good filtering system, purified rainwater can even be used for cooking and drinking. Pick from this nifty list of rain catchment projects to work on with the little ones.
11. Take a Trip To a Renewable Energy Plant
Green energy can be a fascinating subject for children. Take them for a quick tour of a solar, wind, or biomass plant. It’s a fundamental lesson for our future decision-makers to understand that there are plenty of energy sources beyond fossil fuels. If there are no facilities nearby, turn to online documentaries instead.
12. DIY air quality gauge
Seeing is believing; the reality of pollution in the air can be best understood with physical evidence. Here’s a super easy air quality experiment to help emphasize the presence and types of air pollutants. Compare the air at an industrial area or the city center, with the clean air of the ocean or the woods.
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1. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2014.935684, full access http://goodparentinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/UAFT_A_935684.pdf
3. https://water.usgs.gov/edu/activity-percapita.php
4. https://www.sellcell.com/blog/kids-cell-phone-use-survey-2019/
i The information provided in this blog is for illustrative purposes only. Indra Energy (“Indra”) is not making any service offerings or guaranteeing any results. Indra makes no warranties (express or implied) and/or representations regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented, and is not responsible for any omissions, errors or mistakes in the information provided in this blog; sources have been cited herein for reference.
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