Helping the Kids Go Green

When it comes to teaching the kids to go green, the earlier you do it, the better. In a time of drought, excessive waste and air pollution, education is key, so children know there’s consequences to waste.

• Get them in the garden

Going outdoors is good for our mental health thanks to all that sunshine and fresh air. Getting the kids to help in the garden and acquainting them with the animals, flowers, and the other plants, will teach them to respect the environment. The worms, the birds, the snails, and the ladybugs all deserve to be there as much as they do.

• Save your scraps; salad scraps, egg shells, veggie skins, and more can be saved and turned into your own compost heap.

Children need to know where their food comes from and that it’s possible to do more with it than just eat. Pulp from juicing, food scraps and clean water can be reused in the garden. It will definitely help them in the future when they do science at school and study the environment.

• Turn off the taps

You are meant to brush your teeth for about three minutes. The tap doesn’t need to run the entire time.

Teach the children that when the water is running without purpose, it’s getting wasted; always ensure all taps are turned off properly. Put a bucket in the shower to catch the cold water before it turns hot, and use it to water the plants – you can even catch the pasta water when you strain it as the starch gives the nutrients in the soil an extra boost.

• Take them to Bunnings

At Eskay we go on excursions to Bunnings with the kids and they love it every time. Besides the amazing sausage sizzles, you can turn it into an ‘educational’ shopping trip without them even knowing.

Tying into our first point, take them to the gardening section to get them invested in the work. Ask them to pick their favourite plant or seedlings. Getting them a pair of their own gloves definitely helps getting them more involved as well.

• The many uses of paper

Paper doesn’t need to be thrown in the bin. Kids are crafty, so encourage their creative side. Old newspapers, magazines and even drawings can be recycled. If they like a picture in a magazine, cut it out and start a scrapbook. Do some origami. When Easter comes around, shred some newspaper to make padding for an Easter basket. Even cardboard boxes have the chance of a second life as a spaceship or a cubby house.