10 Green Activities To Make Your Children Eco-Aware

Once upon a time, residents of planet Earth behaved as if natural resources were never ending and wouldn’t deplete. We now know this is not the case and with everything from oil to natural gasses set to run out in due course, many people are looking for sustainable alternatives. Organisations like EST are doing everything in their power to change mind sets and encourage people to live in a more eco-friendly way, but it’s up to us to take action and behave responsibly.

Learning about the fragility of the world at a young age is essential, so with this in mind here are ten green activities to help make your children eco-aware.

Rainwater harvesting can reduce your water bills by up to 50 per cent, so why not invest in an underground tank and encourage your children to wash the car or water the garden using natural water from the sky rather than the chlorinated alternative from the tap?

Kids love being outside, so wouldn’t it be great to start your own vegetable patch? As you pop carrots and potatoes into the ground, explain how many supermarket products are flown in from abroad and the fuel consumption can be bad for the economy.

Anyone can go into a shop and buy their dinner, but eating your home grown goods is both educational and nutritious. You know exactly where everything has come from and will teach your children that it’s possible to be self-sufficient.

If you have enough room in your garden for a tree or two, planting foliage could be a fun activity for the whole family. Trees produce oxygen which help freshen the air and so making your outside space as green as possible is certainly a good idea.

Did you know that road transport accounts for 22 per cent of total UK emissions of carbon dioxide – a major contributor to climate change? That’s why it’s a good idea to leave your car at home whenever you can and head out for an enjoyable family bike ride.

On a similar note, walking from place to place is also much better than hopping in a vehicle. Not only will it help kids burn off some pent up energy but it’ll teach them that a car should be a last resort.

Believe it or not, Brits could save £1.7 billion a year by switching appliances off standby. Electrical equipment tends to dominate our lives and our bank balance these days, but wouldn’t it be nice to just pull the plug and go out and play?

Due a family holiday? Then how about packing your bags and heading camping? This family-friendly activity is not only fun but it’ll bring your children closer to nature and help them appreciate the world around them.

Kids love arts and crafts and with many eco-friendly activities to do throughout the day, there’s no chance of them getting bored. Painting stones (with non-toxic paint), pressing flowers, making stick pictures, printing with leaves and making shell faces are all great ways to pass the time. 

If a good clear out’s what you need, perhaps a car boot sale could be right up your street? It’s the perfect way to teach kids about recycling and could even earn them a bit of pocket money.

This post is protected under copyright. SusankMann 2009 – 2015