There’s no time like the present to start to teach children to be more sustainable. It can begin with something simple, like switching up toilet paper or second-hand toys. But the Earth is relying on the next few generations to help aid its recovery. So read on for my tips and ideas to encourage children to do their bit too.
3 Great ways to teach children to be more sustainable
Today I’m sharing 3 great ways to teach children to be more sustainable. They are all pretty painless things to do, so shouldn’t be too hard for your family unit to embrace.
Show them the joys of secondhand toys
As much as they’ll ask you for them: your kids don’t need new things all the time. They’ll tell you that they ‘need’ the latest toys or clothes, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t come from sites like Freecycle or eBay.
Teaching them the joys of reusing something and giving it a new lease of life is an amazing way to teach children to be more sustainable. Whether you get them involved in searching for retro Sylvanian Families or scouting round charity shops for bargains.
Accepting second-hand clothes and toys from friends who have older children or shopping in charity shops is also great. Not only is it cheaper to do so, but you’re reusing things that would otherwise end up being thrown out.
If you instil this mentality into them at a young age, they’ll grow up to be aware of the fact that the cost of making something ‘new’ has a big effect on the planet, and their future.
If I’m being honest, I’m not great at buying pre-loved clothes. I do love to pass on our own items when they become too small for the kids though.
Eco Toilet Paper
It’s worth explaining the benefits of sustainable bamboo toilet roll when you’re considering ways to teach children to be more sustainable.
Brands like Cheeky Panda are encouraging the use of their eco-friendly toilet paper as a replacement for paper-based products. This is to help reduce deforestation cause by destroying trees to make ‘traditional’ toilet tissue.
Bamboo grows super-fast, there’s an abundance of it and it produces more oxygen than trees, so it’s a much more sustainable option for things like toilet paper, baby wipes and more.
By educating your children about the benefits of using other resources – which have less of an effect on the wellbeing of the planet – you’re giving them the tools to help combat the looming threat of climate change, plastic pollution, deforestation and more!
Plus, there’s an adorable little panda on the packaging…
Plant a garden
There’s nothing quite like sampling some homegrown goodies from your very own garden! If you’re not lucky enough to have an allotment, you can still grow your own. Things like potatoes can be grown in sacks by the back door, and plenty of things can be grown in window boxes, too. So even those without a garden can get involved. I
It’s an amazing way to teach kids where their food comes from, how much work it takes and how far it has to travel before it ends up on their plate. It’s easy to just go to the shop and purchase fresh food, but growing it yourself is a much more rewarding experience.
Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way to reduce your own carbon footprint, too. It saves on a trip to the shop as well as saving the shop getting more good delivered!
Teaching your kids early on how to plant and sew their own garden can be super beneficial in the long term, not only for them, but for the planet too.
Encouraging kids to grow their own food means they can become more self-sufficient and less reliable on mass market products from the supermarket. This is definitely something to consider when you plan to teach children to be more sustainable.
