Strong storms, heat waves, melting ice caps — we can see climate change happening right before our eyes. Good thing we can still do something to protect the environment, but we need to start “planting seeds” of our future now. That’s why on/before Earth Hour happens, we need to teach these 10 eco-tips for kids so that they can continue rehabilitating our planet long after we’re gone.
Use renewable energy at home
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Introduce the idea of using sustainable and renewable energy to your kids. It’s one of the best ways to create power without damaging the environment. Using solar or wind power at home can also save you some hard-earned cash.
In addition, opening their eyes to such technology at an early age could spark their interest in science and release their inner Einstein. Who knows? They might even be the next big scientist, who comes up with a breakthrough in helping the Earth.
Teach them how to segregate garbage
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One of the good things about living in a DMCI Homes condo is that the community is rapidly introducing garbage segregation to help the environment. So instead of simply throwing your trash bags in the chute, you can teach your children to throw recyclable, biodegradable products, and non-biodegradable stuff in separate bags, which they can place in separate bins in the designated areas of the condo.
It could mean that you need to buy color-coded trash bins, but at least it won’t cost you that much and, more importantly, you’re teaching your children to be disciplined enough to throw their trash properly.
Recycling can be fun
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According to the Australian Museum, plastic takes about 450 years to decompose. One way to reduce plastic waste is to reuse and recycle plastic bags and containers. Luckily, there are plenty of activities that you can do to recycle plastic at home and have an awesome family time. Moreover, you and your children can use plastic bottles as recycled piggy banks where you can put spare change and see how much you’ve saved throughout the year.
Marie Kondo can be their best friend
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Do you know what goes well with condo living? A minimalist lifestyle! With this, Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant, can be your and your kid’s best friend. Watching and reading her materials can teach you and your children to let go of things that “don’t spark joy.” This means they have to stop buying things they don’t really need and donating items they no longer need.
How is this connected with having an eco-conscious living? Well, the less stuff you buy, the less waste you have to throw out. It also means you take less from the environment.
Grow house plants
A nice eco-friendly activity for kids that you can do in your own condo unit is growing house plants. It can be decorative or an herb that you like.
A small pot of basil can go around Php40 to Php60 or you can buy calamansi at your local grocery and plant its seeds. Get a cactus if you’re out often as it needs minimal care. Whatever plant you choose, it will always be good for the environment.
Go organic
Eating/drinking organic food or using organic items is a good step towards having an environment-friendly home. Most of these items should be consumed quickly and decompose very well. By going organic, you eat healthier, use items that don’t contain as many chemicals, and won’t have to deal with disposing plastic or waste materials. Learning the organic lifestyle at an early age could help set up your children to become eco-warriors in the future.
Teach them how to cook
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Aside from being a life skill, knowing how to cook will teach your children to be conscious of what they eat and become eco-friendly. This could help them appreciate growing their own ingredients and eating organic food. If cooking becomes their passion, they can even turn it into their own business and become an advocate for healthy living.
Save water
Part of teaching children to be environmentally friendly is to educate them about the importance of clean water. Even though our planet is 71 percent water, we still need to conserve it because according to National Geographic only 2.5 percent of it is fresh water. In addition, only 1 percent is easily accessible. It’s a scary scenario, isn’t it?
That’s why we need to teach them to conserve water by as simple as turning the faucet off when it’s not in use. It also lets you save a little bit on the water bill in your condo unit.
Volunteer for coastal or street cleanup campaigns
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Want to learn how to teach children to be environmentally responsible? Take them out from the comforts of your condo unit and bring them to the streets or along the coast. Show them how to take care of the environment by volunteering in cleanup campaigns. This way, they won’t take their local environment for granted and be pro-active in keeping it clean.
Explore the great outdoors
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Another way to introduce them to an eco-friendly life is by bringing them out to the mountains or forests. Let them explore the great outdoors. Allow them to get dirty and play. Let them take a bath or swim in a cold river or waterfall. Show them the beautiful scenery from the top of a mountain. This will help them appreciate Earth and, hopefully, light a fire within them to take care of the environment.
There are many other ways to raise an environmentally-conscious child. Just remember that it has to start with you setting an example and making sure to prepare a sustainable, renewable, and green living space for them to see the benefits of taking care of our planet. What better time to start than on Earth Day itself.
