Our planet is our home, and already we have witnessed a huge
change in air and soil quality, climate disbalance, and the evolution of
diseases. Sustainability may sound like a scary thing for youngsters, but our
children are our future, and there isn't a better way to teach little ones about
sustainability than now.
Sustainability may sound like a totally foreign (and boring)
word for kids, but by taking baby steps in the early stages of life, we can
easily teach our children about the eco-friendly ways of living, help them keep
the planet earth, nurture plants, and create bonds with nature. Teaching
sustainability may also be a demanding thing for every parent, but with a
little bit of effort and with this helpful guide, you are bound to make a
change in the world. Here are some ways to teach your kids about sustainability
and have fun while doing so.
A healthier outlook on life
The pivotal reason why you should start teaching your
children sustainability is that they will start having a healthier lifestyle.
Switching to more sustainable measures indicates eating healthier produce,
discovering meaningful ways to protect their health, and decreasing any chances
of suffering from some illnesses. Take the amount of BPA
found in children's mouths due to plastic items that they keep putting inside.
The staggering amount of 22% can lead to children being prone to some
infectious diseases. Ditching plastic and opting to use more organic materials
such as wood or cotton that are more sustainable would enable your child to
make healthier lifestyle choices later in life. When your child sees how to aim
to make healthier food and lifestyle choices, they will start appreciating the
Earth more without a doubt.
Make long-lasting changes
Even in kindergarten as well as at home, children ought to
have the opportunity to learn about the importance of looking after the
environment and making their contribution. What is more, there is an abundance
of kindergartens and children's early learning centers such as Insight Early Learning that maximally promote sustainability and aim to broaden the
horizons of their little minds in order to make lasting changes. Kids learn by
following an example, and by attending such listening centers that support
their environmental learning curiosity and teach them the vitality to eat what
they grow and similar, we can expect to implement them to adapt that notion in
adulthood. No matter whether it's solely at home, kindergartens, or early
learning centers, teaching children about conservation and sustainability with
a hands-on approach will lay down stepping stones for the future.
Creating a nurturing habit
Children who become super attentive towards anything that
has to do with nature become more welcoming, gregarious, and careful in life.
In addition, experts have proven that children who have adopted a learning
habit from a very early age not to pluck flowers, not to step on ladybugs, to
water the plants instead of damaging them, to throw fruit and vegetable
leftovers in separate binds to try to make compost, and similar, because wiser
and more eloquent towards sustainability later in life. However, it's our
mutual duty, parents as well as teachers, to guide them through the
sustainability learning journey and help them implement that as a habit. The
best way to create a habit is to do and repeat numerous sustainability
activities or opt to practice what you teach, so the little ones can get the idea of what sustainability really is as they grow
older.
Fun and engaging sustainability ideas
Children love to get involved in learning processes. To help
them thrive in the sustainability learning process and to help them learn about
ecology and the importance of looking after the planet, here are some useful
and fruitful ideas to teach children about sustainability.
- Plant a tree: this is one of the easiest, most mindful,
and long-term ways to give your contribution to sustainability upkeep as well
as to teach your child how vital a small tree branch is for the air, soil,
animals, and humans. Make sure to keep a record of its growth by keeping a
diary and taking pictures.
- Start a communal pantry: in kindergartens and schools
especially it's crucial not to leave anything behind nor throw away unused food
from the pantry with a prolonged shelf life such as pasta, rice, cereals,
biscuits, cans of tune and similar. Create a communal pantry in such
institutions to teach children how nice it is to give your contribution to
others
- Create edible gardens: plant, plant, plant. Having your
little garden that a child has looked after for days and months and then
sharing or cooking some of its produce would mean the world to the planet and
teach them sustainability.
- Make separate waste bins: use large cardboard boxes,
scissors, and paint to create your very own waste bins for organic, recycling,
and rubbish waste. Children live arts and crafts, and as they are playing
ensure that they are aware of what goes in each compartment by labeling it with
pictures or handmade stickers.
Inspiring little minds is the key to ensuring a safe and
protected future both for the planet and for its inhabitants. Children can
easily pick up things on the go without being aware of the process of learning
mainly through playtime and fun. Start learning now, for a better tomorrow.