How to Teach Your Kids About Sustainability
The hardest step is teaching your kids how to pronounce “Sustainability.” With the right direction, the rest is a piece of cake! Why is it important to learn about sustainability as a tot? Read our blog here for more.
Keep reading for a few practical ways to educate your little ones about going green through habits, activities and reading.
Daily Habits
If your toddler is already repeating what you’re saying, then you know that the monkey-see-monkey-do technique does work. Children will learn from their parents’ actions, so it’s important to be conscious of our own sustainable practices. From refusing plastic bags at grocery stores to recycling your waste, your kiddos are watching and will quickly learn from your actions.
Activities
It seems like the activity opportunities are endless! Crafts, gardening, volunteering—the list goes on and on! Here are some activities we think are a great start to educating your toddlers about going green.
Decorate the Recycling Bin Together
Ready that leftover cardboard box and craft supplies because decorating a recycling bin is one fun way for your kiddos to get excited about recycling. Whether you decide to turn it into a monster who loves to eat plastic or a princess castle, let your children get creative with this!
Volunteer
One of the best ways to educate your kids about helping the earth is through local volunteer work with the whole family. Seek out local organizations or message boards for opportunities. Volunteer jobs such as park cleanup will give your kids the pride and confidence of a clean neighborhood, while also protecting the environment.
Work as a Family to Check Off a Bucket List
How better to get the family excited about going green than a bucket list? Print out this bucket list here and feel free to add your own ideas!
Books
Reading to your child can spark your child's imagination and stimulate curiosity about certain topics, so books are a great way to introduce Sustainability. Here are some of our top picks for books that teach a good lesson about how we can treat the earth with kindness.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals
Ten Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh
Don't Throw That Away! By Lara Bergen
The Pout-Pout Fish Cleans Up the Ocean by Deborah Diesen
The EARTH Book by Todd Parr
Why Should I Recycle? by Jenn Green
Before you know it, these practices will produce a well-rounded explanation of how your little ones can contribute to saving the planet one act at a time.
