6 fun activities to help your kids learn about sustainability

13 October 2021, 13:44

Here's how you can learn about the environment with your children.

Teaching children about creating a more sustainable future has never been more important.

“As a parent you know that your child is going to grow up in a world that is experiencing climate change,” says Earth Warriors, a childhood education curriculum.

“In fact, a lot of us as adults feel anxious about climate change and wonder how to talk to our children about this scary topic.”

So, we’ve put together six fun ideas to help you teach your little ‘uns protecting the environment that they will enjoy.

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1. Walk and cycle wherever possible

You can reduce your carbon footprint by encouraging your children to walk or cycle wherever possible.

Earth Warriors says: “You can use it as an opportunity to talk to your child about how petrol and diesel used in cars contributes to climate change.

“Remember to emphasise that using cars is important on many occasions but wherever possible it can be avoided, you should do so.”

2. Upcycling activities

Empty boxes, old cardboard and reusable jars can offer lots of fun for kids.

Businesswaste.co.uk suggests making milk carton bird feeder or homemade musical instruments with your recycling as a fun way to teach a lesson in sustainability and upcycling.

3. Go to local food markets

If it is accessible to you, why not take your kids to a local food market where you can chat to them about eating sustainably?

When you eat locally, you are cutting back on the necessity of more resources, says Earth Warriors.

They add: “Take your child grocery shopping with you and explain that things that are grown far away or are not in season need to be brought to you using planes and trucks that use a lot of petrol and diesel and contribute to climate change.

“Once your child understands that eating local food and not wasting food is important to protect nature, watch them eat those healthy vegetables with no complaints!”

4. Get outdoors

This can include anything from going on nature walks, bird watching or even growing your own fruit and veg in the garden.

Getting your children outdoors will teach them to enjoy the parks and woodlands around them and appreciate nature.

If this is not possible, you can always buy some seeds to plant herbs and small vegetables in doors to teach them about home grown produce.

5. Make recipes from leftover food

According to Businesswaste.co.uk, Brits throw away more than 4.5 million tonnes of food each year, so it’s important that we all do our bit to reuse leftovers.

Why not make soups from your leftover veg or a curry from your Sunday roast? While doing this you can teach your little one about food waste.

Not only is it bad for our pockets, but producing, transporting and cooking food uses energy, fuel and water, which all goes to waste if it is thrown in the bin.

6. Read books

There are plenty of books which have been written about climate change specifically for children.

Some include Greta and the Giants by Zoe Tucker, The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanna Cole and Climate Action: What Happened and What We Can Do by Seymour Simon.

This can be an easier way to learn about the environment together.