Educational and fun Plastic Free July activities for kids
Plastic Free July is a global movement that encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to reduce their plastic consumption and find more sustainable alternatives. As parents and caregivers, it’s crucial to instill eco-friendly habits in our children from an early age. Teaching kids about the importance of reducing plastic waste can help them develop a sense of responsibility towards the environment and make a positive impact on our planet’s future.
This article will provide you with some fun activities that you can do with your kids during Plastic Free July. These activities range from education about plastic pollution to creative projects that encourage children to think outside the box when it comes to reducing waste.
1. Plastic scavenger hunt at home
This activity will help children be able to identify plastic and realise how ubiquitous it is in our lives. You could ask the kids to find something that is plastic in each room of the house or find five single use plastic items and five reusable plastic items. Cater to their age, help them along and it is interesting to see what the kids come up with.
2. Make a waste free lunch
Ditch the individually wrapped muesli bars and chip packets and make up a plastic free lunch box together with your child. If you have time, you can bake homemade muffins or fruit roll ups but other stick to easy staples like sandwiches, veggie sticks and dried fruit. For all the tips and tricks check out this article on how to make a waste free lunch box.
3. Rubbish recycling activity
Collect all your clean waste packaging for a few days and then use for a sorting activity. Have the kids separate into different materials like paper/cardboard, metal or plastic. This will help children to identify different forms of plastic which can help to avoid it in future. Check your local council guidelines to then decide with your children how to best dispose of each group of materials.
4. Pick up rubbish at the park or beach
Encourage kids to take action and become active participants in sustainability by taking part in an outdoor activity by picking up litter at the local park or beach. This is a fun way for children to learn about the importance of environmental responsibility while having a great time outdoors. Show them how they can make a difference and also where all the plastic consumed ends up.
5. Read books about plastic
Books have always been an excellent tool for education and entertainment, especially for young readers who are still forming their thoughts and opinions about the world. By reading books about plastic, children can learn about different types of plastics, how they are used, and what happens when they end up in our oceans or landfills. Cranky Frankie And The Oceans Of Trash is a good one or you can check out these other picture books on sustainability.
6. Plan a plastic free (ish) grocery shop
Challenge your children to think about how they can avoid plastic during the family grocery shop. Prompt them to take their own shopping bags. Bring along resusable produce bags and containers for anything purchased from the butcher or deli counter. Choose loose fruit and vegetables and look for packaged food that has the least amount of packaging. Consider if you could sometimes shop at a farmers market or bulk food store to further reduce plastic packaging. These are all just prompts if the kids get stuck but they may come up with some great ideas on their own.
7. Watch short videos about going plastic free
This one below from Teeny Tiny Stevies is my favourite. In under 3 minutes they manage to address the history of plastic, it’s benefits, how plastic consumption is now out of control and what we can do about it.
8. Make your own beeswax wraps etc
Instead of a short term action just for Plastic Free July, get the kids to make something that will help you to be plastic free in the future. Make your own beeswax wraps or you could make your own bubble solution.
9. Design a poster for Plastic Free July
Designing posters can be a fun way to spark creativity and artistic expression in children while educating them about going plastic free. You can use some of these ‘say no to plastic’ slogans or make up your own and display them at school.
10. Visit a toy library or op shop
Going plastic free doesn’t have to mean going without. Show kids an alternate way that they can have new toys to borrow or buy without the plastic packaging. It is also a great way to normalise borrowing and buying second hand.
More ways to go plastic free with kids
- 37 Plastic Free Party Bag Ideas
- 7 Meaningful Sustainability Activities For Kids
- 25 Tips & Tricks For Waste Free Lunch Boxes