Our kids are our future, and there is no better time than when they are young to teach them about sustainability. Kids learn by example, so as a parent, incorporating sustainability into your daily routine will encourage them to implement good habits as they grow older.
Here are some simple ways to teach your kids about sustainability that the whole family can enjoy!
Show them the three ‘R’s’
The best and easiest way to teach kids about sustainability is to show them the three ‘R’s: Reduce, reuse, recycle. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, households create 12.4 million tonnes of waste, with over half of the waste sent for recycling.
Encouraging kids to learn about recycling can be exciting and fun. Something as simple as setting up different coloured bins for food scraps, cardboard, plastics and other reusable items will show how much waste a person can make and reduce our impact on the environment.
Get them into Gardening
There are nothing kids like more than playing in the garden, getting their hands dirty and exploring the outdoors. Showing them how to plant a garden, start a compost or grow a worm farm will teach important lessons such as hard work, patience and the planet.
Regardless of what kind of yard or balcony you have, you can start a garden anywhere. You can incorporate recycling and the park, and you can turn plastic bottles into pot planters. Kids can decorate them, fill them with soil and watch the plant grow.
Involve them in the Cooking Process
Another way to teach your kids about sustainability is by involving them in the cooking process, from the market to the prep work to the making and even eating food. When at the supermarket, get your kids to pick out the fruit and vegetables with you, commenting on the colours, smells and texture, encouraging your kids to ask questions. This will help get your kids to make conscious decisions on the origins of the food on their plates.
Getting your kids involved in the prepping and cooking process in the kitchen will teach them not just about food waste but good eating habits and where their food comes from.
Join a Challenge
Joining a sustainable challenge is a fun way to introduce an activity to fun and engaging kids. They not only provide a great tool for education but something the whole family can get involved in!
Teach them about Conserving
To a kid, water comes from a tap and electricity comes from turning on a light switch. They don’t understand how these resources are limited and non-renewable. So instead of telling them to turn the tap off while brushing their teeth or turning the light off if you are not in a room, explain to them where it comes from, how it’s made and how it can affect the planet. Turning it into interactive games can help them understand why conserving is a good thing and will help the earth.
Bibliography
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (2019). Waste Account, Australia, Experimental Estimates. ABS. Accessed:<https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/environment/environmental-management/waste-account-australia-experimental-estimates/latest-release>
- Stenger, M (2018) 10 Ideas for teaching kids about sustainable living. ABC Education. Accessed: <https://education.abc.net.au/newsandarticles/blog/-/b/2985599/10-ideas-for-teaching-kids-about-sustainable-living->
- Busy Bees (2021). Sustainability in childcare: How we teach children to care for our environment. Busy Bees. Accessed: <https://www.busybees.edu.au/blogs/sustainability-in-childcare-how-we-teach-children-to-care-for-our-environment>
- Mathews, B (n.d). Teaching kids about recycling: R is for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Eco and Beyond. Accessed: <https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/teaching-kids-about-recycling/>
- Sydney Water (n.d). Primary School. Sydney Water. Accessed:<https://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/education/programs-resources/Primaryschool/index.htm>
- BBC Storyworks (n.d) Fun ways to teach kids how to save water. BBC. Accessed: <http://www.bbc.com/storyworks/finish-skip-the-rinse/finish-fun-ways-to-teach-kids-how-to-save-water>
About the Author:
Latasha Trenaman is a Sydney based writer who is passionate about healthy eating. Latasha’s partner was diagnosed with diabetes in 2018. She has made it her life mission to share her and her partners’ experiences living with diabetes by promoting healthy food, especially sugar-free options. She believes in the power of writing and how it can inspire others in their journey to becoming more healthy. When she is not writing, she is walking her dog or baking sugar-free treats.
