How to Raise Eco-Conscious Children

Here, James Partridge from Greenshop shows you how to teach your little ones about the environment. With climate change firmly in our minds right now, it’s important to teach future generations to show care for the planet. So, how can you teach your little ones to care for the planet?

The global population is now increasing more than 80 million every year, which means it is set to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 according to data from Population Matters. With this in mind, there has been a conversation recently around how to raise children so that they are eco-conscious and understand the importance of looking out for the environment.

So, how can you show your kids how they can care for the planet? By involving them in nature, taking time to do activities like gardening, and showing them easy practical actions like recycling, you can raise children who enjoy being eco-friendly and who will find ways to preserve their environment.

Here, we’ll take you through some ideas for activities that you can do with your kids to ensure that they learn about the environment and have fun while doing it.

Take them outdoors

The most important thing that you can do to encourage your kids to be conscious of the environment is to take them outside to enjoy it. Walks, hikes, outdoor playgrounds, and sports can all become great ways to get your little ones enthusiastic and involved in their surroundings.

While they’re outside, it’s a great opportunity to learn about nature too. Tell your child or children about the landscapes you’re exploring and have fun learning more nature facts as a family on your trips. This will introduce kids to nature in an exciting, fun way that will stick with them for life.

Get children gardening

If you have a garden, it’s a great idea to involve your kids in planting seeds, weeding, and planning for the different seasons. This will give them a deeper connection to the environment and allow them to learn about nature in a fun way. It’s also great for kids to be active, and gardening is a brilliant way to get them moving outside.

You can try choosing some seeds together and planting them in spring. This way, your little ones can watch the process of growing something from the very beginning. If you choose some edible plants, such as vegetables or herbs, you can also taste them once they’ve grown.

Spend time with animals

Animals are of course affected extensively by environmental issues, whether it be waste, pollution or climate change. So having an understanding of animals will be very helpful to showing your child how important it is to be environmentally aware. As a bonus, they will enjoy spending time with pets and wildlife, and learning about them.

So, take your little ones to child-friendly farms that allow them to meet animals, and try out wildlife walks in nature reserves and parks to learn about beetles, snails, and squirrels. If you have the time and space, you can also try getting a pet once your kids are old enough to be involved with an animal’s care.

Encourage kids to recycle

Another easy way to show your kids how to be eco-conscious is to get them helping with the recycling. This is something that they can learn how to do themselves or help a parent with. Show them which materials can be recycled, and how to neatly arrange the recycling to be packed away.

While they’re outside, it’s a great opportunity to learn about nature too.

You can also tell them about all the different things that can be made out of the materials once they’re recycled. If you’re unsure, you can look up things that are made out of recycled materials online and see how the packaging you’re saving will be used.

DIY projects and mending

Doing DIY projects and mending things with your children can show them how to make their belongings last longer, therefore creating less waste. This can include things like making craft projects out of old cardboard or packaging, or mending clothes. You can learn different techniques for mending clothes, such as sewing cute new shapes onto them, or using wool to darn a hole.

Doing some DIY can be a fun craft activity for a rainy afternoon, as well as a way to involve your kids in reusing things and making objects last longer. You might also find that through doing this with your kids, you discover some new ways to reuse things!

There are lots of activities you can do that can get your kids involved in being eco-friendly and conscious towards the environment from a young age. Your little ones will enjoy spending time outside, as well as learning about how to preserve it. By making it fun to learn about the environment, you can be sure that your kids will grow up eco-conscious and with a love of nature.

Family magazine Spring 2022