Kids have a lot to learn about the environment but luckily there are easy sustainability activities that can be put into practice every day.
There are plenty of sustainability activities for kids that can be meaningful and enjoyable. Activities like planting trees or composting are fantastic if you have them available to you but below are activities that children of all ages, wherever you are to get involved in.
Here are a few ideas for activities that are meaningful and fun for everyone:
Sustainability Activities for Kids
1. Walk or ride to school
An easy way to reduce our carbon footprint is with active travel. One way to do this is by walking or riding a bike/scooter to school, rather than taking a car. This not only helps the environment, but it is also great for your health and an enjoyable activity to do with your child.
2. Pack a nude food lunch box together
Waste free lunches are not only possible, they can also be delicious, satisfying and easy to prepare. All you need are some reusable containers and a bit of creativity.
Opt for family size packets of crackers, popcorn or chips and portion into reusable containers. Include whole fruit like apples or bananas so that they don’t require packaging. Try these homemade healthy lunch box snacks to fill your children’s tummies
Bento boxes are great for separating foods so that they don’t make adjacent foods soggy or taste funny. The reusable yoghurt pouches pictured above are fantastic or you can try these alternatives to ziploc bags.
Including your child in lunch box decisions will also improve the chances that they eat it all and reduce food waste.
3. Go on a nature walk
A nature walk for kids can teach them about the environment and help them appreciate it more. It can also help them learn about the different types of plants and animals that live in the area. It is a great way for them to get outside and have fun at the same time.
Depending on your location and the age and interests of your kids, you could walk on a hiking trail, through bushland, by a river or simply at your local park.
4. Pick up litter at the park
This activity is easily combined with the nature walk. It’s easy to keep our parks and green spaces beautiful by picking up litter when we visit with our families. Not only does it improve the aesthetics, but we can also help protect wildlife from becoming entangled in or eating rubbish. Our oceans and waterways are filled with plastic pollution that can be harmful to marine life, so it’s important to do our part to keep them clean.
Kids surprisingly love the challenge of finding as many pieces of rubbish as they can. You can make it extra fun with this scavenger hunt checklist. To do this safely, wear gloves or use tongs, wash your hands immediately afterwards and stick to open areas.
Read Now: Tips For Picking Up Litter With Kids
5. Recycled crafts
Recycled crafts for kids can be a great way to teach children about recycling and conservation. By making their own crafts out of recycled materials, children can learn about where their materials come from and how they can help conserve resources.
Collect up toilet rolls, cardboard boxes and old socks to start making these easy recycled kids crafts or just let your kids’ imagination run wild.
6. Read books about sustainability
Children learn best when they are involved in the process of learning. One way to involve children in environmental education is by reading books to them. There are many children’s books about the environment that can be used as teaching tools.
Some of these books discuss different aspects of the environment, such as climate change, pollution, and conservation. Other books focus on specific animals or plants that are important to the environment or outline the actions we can take every day to protect our planet.
Read Now: 10 Picture books on sustainability for toddlers
7. Get active in the garden
Gardening is a great way to teach kids about the environment. Not only does it provide them with an opportunity to learn about plant life, but it can also help them to understand how to take care of plants and conserve resources.
Even the most basic gardens also provide opportunities to see insects and birds in their natural habitat. Search for bees, butterflies, ants, beetles, earthworms, slaters, spiders and caterpillars.
Get kids excited about gardening by letting them grow edible plants and letting them be responsible for growing and nurturing a particular plant.
Read Now: How To Get Kids Excited About Gardening
Teach and stimulate your kids with these fun Earth Day activities.
If you have any other great ideas for Earth Day activities, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.
More sustainability teaching opportunities:
- 10 Picture Books On Sustainability For Toddlers
- 8 Fun Earth Day Colouring Pages and Activities
- 15 Sensational Earth Day Crafts For Kids