Teaching Your Kiddos about Sustainable Living
Happy summer, Juni Friends! We are loving the good vibes and sunshine that the warmer months bring. Whether you are cooling off at the pool, enjoying time with friends at a barbecue, or squeezing in some much-needed R&R, summer is always jam-packed with activities to keep you and your family busy and having fun. As we spend more time outside enjoying the warm weather, there is no better time engage your kids with nature and teach them about sustainable habits that they can carry on into the future!
Creating a good future for your kiddos starts with educating them about the importance of living an eco-friendly lifestyle. They are our future leaders, after all! As with any good habit, sustainable habits are more likely to be carried into the future if taught at a young age. Doing so helps reinforce the importance of our actions to help take care of our planet. Here are some fun, engaging ways to help teach your kids about sustainable habits this summer:
Get Creative with Upcycled Crafts
Upcycling is a creative way to for your kids to repurpose items in your home that you are no longer able to use. This teaches them about the importance of reusing items that would normally end up in a landfill and allows them to embrace their creative side by making something one-of-a-kind. Some ideas include an aluminum can planter, mason jar lid suncatchers, or an eco-friendly bird feeder from an orange peel.
Take a Day Trip to a Local Sustainable Farm
Teaching your kids about sustainable food habits will help them make better choices for both their health and the planet. Visiting a local sustainable farm is a great way to help your kiddos learn about where their food is coming from, and why it is important to buy local fruits and vegetables. BONUS: see if the farm will let your kids pick a fruit/vegetable to take home – this will make the experience more hands-on and fun!
Start an Egg-Carton Garden
Have an empty egg carton you’re about to throw away? Ditch the waste and use it as a starter for a seed garden! An egg-carton garden is an enjoyable and rewarding way for kids to learn about seeds and how they grow and teach lessons about sustainability. Once the seeds outgrow the cartons, you and your kids can transfer them into the ground and watch them grow. This will show them the importance of maintaining the health of our ecosystem and give them something they can be proud about doing!
Explore Nature with a Walk, Hike, or Bike
Exploring nature is a great way to teach your kids about the importance of protecting our Earth while keeping them active. Apps such as AllTrails and the Hiking Project are great places to find your find your next walk, hike, or bike! Remember that hydration and sun-protection are key during the warmer months, so always keep your kids hydrated with a re-usable water bottle and an SPF 30+ sunscreen.
Start a Compost Bin
A compost bin is a fun, hands-on activity to help teach your kids the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable products while also reducing the amount of waste that goes into a landfill. Find more about the do’s and don’ts about composting with your kids here. BONUS: this compost can be used as a nutrient-rich soil for your egg-carton garden!
Sending Smiles the Juni Way, Every Day
