Living a greener life is one of the most valuable things you can share with your child. After all, the Earth is our precious home and takes care of us so well. So how can we teach kids to be sustainable and care for the environment?

Your child might have already picked up on the term climate change or you all may already be making eco-friendly choices at home- like recycling plastics, growing vegetables and turning the lights off. Being sustainable is just the little but important changes you make at home to care for the environment. Here are some helpful and easy strategies to teach kids to be sustainable and care for the environment.

Tips to help your child care for the environment:

Have an open and positive chat

It can be tempting to avoid chatting about climate change with your child as it can feel like such a heavy and gloomy talking point. It is possible to be open about the facts in a way that doesn’t confuse or upset them. You could try something like ‘… There are lots of things that heat our planet like driving cars, heating our homes and cutting down trees for paper. This releases greenhouse gases, which make the planet warmer. This isn’t good as the ice melts and oceans rise. This can cause problems with our weather, growing food and animals having a home. There are things we can do at home to make a change. Shall we try some of them?’ It is empowering for kids to feel like they can make a difference and comforting to know there are lots of people working together to change things.

Save energy

Some easy ways to teach your child how to reduce their carbon footprint are: walk to school if possible, switch off the television when not in use and eat locally grown vegetables. Or better still grow your own, compost kitchen and garden waste, donate clothes, buy fewer things and recycle.

Connect with nature

Paying attention to the shifting seasons and simply spending time outdoors appreciating our beautiful planet can be a lovely way to help kids feel they are part of this world. You can let your child know they are a special keeper of the Earth. Playing outside, having fun scavenger hunts and going for family walks can help them feel like they belong to the land and cultivate a love of the outdoors.

Make it fun

Delving deep into the recycling bin for some creative inspiration is a fun idea. Making a game, an instrument or a bird feeder out of toilet rolls and plastic bottles can not only be a great way to teach your child about sustainability but also be a nice bonding experience for you and your child. According to the BBC, you can introduce your child to sustainability early by making your own toys, junk modeling and sorting rubbish.

There may well be times you or your child may feel worried about the future of our planet. Just remember to take good care of yourself and reassure your child that great choices can make all the difference. Nothing is ever flawless and sustainability at home isn’t any different. Just try your best as a family but remove any of the guilt when things aren’t perfect.

Samantha Redgrave-Hogg