How can I Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly? Use reusable bags, compost, recycle, garden and MORE! With these simple life changes, your kids will become more aware of the world around them and the waste they produce (and can reuse). Not only do kids become more aware of their environment, but they develop responsibilities for their belongings and save your family money.
Being green is a way of life for us. In order to teach my child to be environmentally friendly, we as a family need to adopt eco-friendly habits.
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Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
What does being green mean to us? For me, it is a vital part of living and breathing. BUT, how do I know all these “life skills” are really sinking in?
Well…I asked my 5 year old this question this morning. I handed her the camera and asked her to SHOW me the things we do to be green. She was SO excited about the challenge and got to work right away. It is exciting to look at everyday tasks through an environmentally friendly lens! Here are some of the pictures she took.
I handed her the camera and asked her to SHOW me the things we do to be green.
1. RAIN BARRELS Help Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
This was her first shot on the camera and one of the kids favorite ways to help around the yard – WATER! Install and use a rain barrel. They are an initial investment and range from $50-$150. You can make your own with a set or purchase a pre-made one. Our city received a grant and offered some at a discounted rate to residents – making it a great addition to our backyard.
My kids use the water collected in the rain barrels to water their garden. It not only re-uses water, but gets them a little exercise too.
2. CLOTH NAPKINS Help Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
My kids evening chores include setting the table. We made the switch to cloth napkins several years ago and have been oh so happy with our choice. The kids get to pick who gets what napkin while setting the table and then they get washed with the rest of our laundry. Not buying paper towels has saved on environmental waste and has helped cut a few dollars out of our grocery bills each month.
3. USE REUSABLE BAGS Helps Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
We keep a stash of bags in the car at all times. (admittedly, I do forget them sometimes and get plastic bags to line my bathroom garbage cans) The kids help collect them after we have put the grocheries away and bring them back to the car. Adding in a take-care-of-the-bags routine helps to make sure they are available for the next use.
4. GARDENING Helps Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
I’ve found that a garden is a TON of work, but that the kids know more about the natural world because of having a garden. They have a greater understanding how all living and non-living things work together to produce food for our family to eat.
5. Composting Helps Teach My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
During meal prep, the carrot peals automatically go into the compost bin near the kitchen sink. After dinner, one of us takes a turn bringing the bucket out to the compost bin.
Every few weeks I turn the contents of the bin and in several months, we have gorgeous compost to add to our garden. It literally turns our WASTE into SOMETHING USEFUL. Without compost, our fruits and vegetables would not thrive.
6. Recycling Teaches My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
Similar to composting, recycling reduces the amount of waste that our family produces. When we first moved into our house, the neighbors saw we had a little garbage can (in our city you pay for your garbage depending on the size of your can). They offered to let us
7. Biking or Walking Teaches My Child to Be Environmentally Friendly
This mode of transportation may take longer to get us from one place to another, but it saves on gas, air pollutants AND is good for our bodies. We use our bikes to get to school, local parks, and even the drug store to spend allowance.
All my kiddos have biked early (thanks to using a balance bike with my youngest kids) and we’ve been able to enjoy safe biking as a family.
These are all things that you can do as a family to teach your child to be environmentally friendly.
Let’s raise eco-conscious kids together!
Pick ONE item that your family could change today. Then do it!
For more articles on raise ECO friendly families, we recommend:
Best Herbs to Grow with Kids by Victoria
Best Flowers to Grow with Kids by Kitchen Counter Chronicles
Best Vegetables to Grow with Kids by Becky
What does being GREEN mean to you?
Thanks Kim! We have talked a lot about it at our house =) Her picures were so much fun too look at and most were surprisingly in focus! It was nice that her school last year reinforced the same concepts too!
I love that you gave her the camera and she was able to find all of these things. I'm so proud of your 5 year old and how much she already knows about living environmentally friendly! Keep up the great work Mama!