10 Ways to Become Eco-Parents

My sister recently had twins, and it got me thinking a lot about parenthood, and how important it is to teach your kids to appreciate and value the world we live in.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “children learn by our actions, not by our words?”  When it comes to many issues, this is very true.  Children emulate what they see.  If you want your children to grow up to be environmentally conscious and responsible adults, show them what that looks like.  Show them what it means to be eco-friendly.  Here are ten great ways to become eco-parents, and teach your kids to respect and care for themselves and the world they live in:

CSA share (Photo credit: .m.e.c.)

#1.  Buy organic when possible.  In this instance, it is important to also discuss with your children why you buy organic.  Make them part of the shopping process by having them find items on your grocery list.  Take them to the farmer’s market with your or join a CSA (community sustained agriculture) program and have them come with you when you visit the farm.  Share with your children your thoughts on why to buy organic produce and then follow through with your actions.

#2.  Recycle.  This is such a small thing but it has a huge impact.  If your community waste management program offers a recycling program, then getting your children involved is easy.  Have them recycle paper, clean out plastic containers and help with the recycling system in your home.  If you don’t have the convenience of curbside recycling, it is a bit more of a process, but children can still get involved and it can become a family routine. 

#3.  Walk, ride your bike and take public transportation when possible.  Demonstrate to your children the value of conserving resources by practicing good eco-friendly habits.

#4.  Teach them to appreciate nature by taking them on nature walks, visiting wildlife preserves and learning about animals and their habitats.

#5.  Use reusable products whenever possible.  One very simple tip is to use reusable shopping bags.  Children are great for helping you remember to bring them along when you head to the store!

#6.  Grow a garden.  Children of all ages love digging their hands in the dirt and growing things.  Let them choose what they want to grow, help them cultivate it and teach them about planting and growing their own fruits and vegetables.

#7.  Travel.  Visiting other places helps children develop an appreciation and an awareness for the world outside their immediate surroundings.

Natural Laundry Detergent, Free and Clear (Photo credit: artizone)

#8.  Use natural cleaners.  Mainstream cleaning products contain a whole host of chemicals and fragrances that are harmful to our health, and if you’re going to get your children involved in cleaning and caring for the home, then they’re going to be exposed to those chemicals.  Opting for natural cleaners gets the job done while staying chemical free - it's healthy for you, for them, and for the environment. Many cleaning products can even be made at home using safe, natural, and cheap ingredients like baking soda and vinegar, so they can save you money too.

#9.  Breastfeed infants.  Breastfeeding isn’t just better for a child’s health, it eliminates the need to manufacture and distribute formula.  And when your other children see you breastfeeding their sibling, they begin to develop an appreciation for its practicality - and for the efficiency of nature to provide what we need.

#10.  Buy used.  Clothing, furniture and even kitchen appliances can all be purchased used. This keeps them out of the landfills, and it saves money and resources manufacturing and distributing these items.  And you save a bit of money too.

Being an eco-parent is really about adopting environmentally friendly practices that make sense for you and your family, and taking responsibility for your role in the natural world.  Your children will grow up knowing you thought it was important to conserve, preserve, and take care of their health, and the health of the world we live in, and hopefully they’ll adopt the same responsible philosophy as they grow into adults themselves.

Six Fun Green Outdoor Activities for the Kids

Remember when you were young and played outside all day?  Most children don’t do that anymore and they’re missing out.  Not just on exercise and fresh air but also on a true appreciation for nature and our environment.  Here are six fun and green outdoor activities to encourage more time outdoors and help your kids enjoy the earth and all it can provide.

 (Photo credit: nonperturbative)

#1.  Host a scavenger nature hunt.  Give children a digital camera and send them on a hunt for all things nature.  For example, your list can contain items like dandelions, worms, a maple leaf, and a ladybug and so on.  You can adjust the list of items to hunt for to the age of your children.  If digital camera skills are beyond your little ones, then give them a pad of paper and a pencil so they can check off the items they find.

#2.  Bird watching or stargazing.  Looking up at the sky can fill hours of time and when you make it active, by looking for specific birds, bird habitats, constellations or planets, children learn and have fun.  Both activities can be enhanced with a telescope or binoculars, but they can also be accomplished with the naked eye.  Head to the library to pick up a book on birds or constellations and watch the fun.

#3.  Watching bugs.  Ants, bees, fireflies and praying mantises are fantastic to watch and children, for some crazy reason, like bugs.  Children can learn about what bugs eat, how they interact and communicate with each other and how they benefit nature.  They’re the bottom and the top of the circle of life.

#4.  Go fly a kite!  Flying a kite is 100% green and you can easily add a bit of a Benjamin Franklin lesson into the playtime.  It takes zero energy, other than the energy you need to keep up with the kite, and if you add making a kite from household items into the outing then it’s a super environmentally-friendly outdoor activity - and a great way to get outside for the whole family!

#5.  Remember pet rocks?  Those goofy items sold back in the 70s are actually a great outdoor activity.  Using non-toxic and environmentally safe paint, children can paint their favorite rock to look like a dog, cow, pig, monkey or whatever their favorite animal is.  They can gather a collection of rocks and paint a whole zoo or barnyard.  To keep mess at bay, lay out a piece of newspaper on the ground and let children create their masterpieces outside where it doesn’t matter as much if they spill the paint.

Leaf Rubbing Card (Photo credit: cproppe)

#6.  Nature rubbings are one way for children to combine their artistic voice and an exploration of nature.  All you need are some non-toxic crayons with the paper peeled off so children can use them sideways, paper, a hard surface and a bit of nature.  Place the item to be explored, like a leaf or a flower, under the paper and on top of the hard, smooth, surface; then rub the crayon over the top of the paper.  The image will come through.  Children can create amazing masterpieces by rubbing a number of items on one page or they can add their own personal touches. 

There are so many amazing things for children to enjoy and explore outside and most of them are completely environmentally friendly.  Teach your children to love nature and being outdoors and they’ll grow up with an appreciation for the planet we live on - and maybe someday develop great environmental and planet-saving technologies - who knows?

5 Fun Earth Day Craft Ideas for the Whole Family

Earth Day is a day the entire family can enjoy together. You can use this day to teach your children about caring for the earth. Consider also spending time together doing some Earth Day crafts - these are fun for the kids, and a great educational opportunity as well. Here are a few ideas to consider.

nature journal sycamore tree (Photo credit: jimmiehomeschoolmom)#1 Nature Hike/Art Project

Go on a hike and have each person in the family pick up five to ten nature items. For example, they might pick up a leaf or a flower petal. Have them take along a bag so they can collect their things. Take them home and make a collage. You can use the collage to create placemats, wall art, or even a desk pad or mouse pad.
You’ll Need: laminate sheets, construction paper, scissors, clear glue or hot glue and other items on hand.

Get creative and have fun!

#2 Tie Dye Party

Tie dying is fun and interesting for kids. And when you use natural food dyes it becomes an earth friendly activity. If you want to add a little education to the project, talk with your children about why you chose to use natural dye instead of chemical dye. Discuss how chemicals harm the planet. You can use carrots, beets, berries, turmeric and other natural items to create the dye.

#3 Make Stuffed Animals

Using materials found around your home create stuffed animals. For example a black sock can be used to create a penguin’s body. Cut out white t-shirt material and glue or sew it on for the belly. A few buttons for eyes. A felt or foam triangle for the beak and feet.

Kids and adults can make fun monster animals too. You can use old corduroy skirts or pants for the bodies. Buttons, ribbons and fiberfill take care of the rest. Each monster can be unique. Because you’re using items already in your home you can talk with your children about why repurposing and reusing items is good for the planet. If you want, you can focus on endangered animals, for an additional teaching opportunity.

Tie Dye (Photo credit: deborah.soltesz)#4 Create Bracelets or Cuffs

Cuffs are trendy right now and old wool sweaters can make beautiful cuffs. With old buttons, flowers and embellishments your children can have a lot of fun with this craft. And you can too! In order to make the old wool sweaters work for this project you’ll want to “Felt” them. This means you shrink them until the wool is thick so it won’t unravel (this can be done by washing them in the washing machine using hot water, then spread flat and let dry - or you can even dry them in the dryer on a low-heat or delicate setting). Then simply cut the wool to size. Fit it to your wrist. Fasten with Velcro, buttons or even sew it closed. Add embellishments and you have a lovely cuff.

#5 Tin Can Gardening

If you’re a gardening family then start collecting tin cans. This is a recycling project and a gardening project in one. Decide how you want to decorate the outside of the can. You may create your own labels using a computer or you can draw or paint them. Painting works well because you don’t have to worry about water ruining any paper decorations. If you’re going to paint the cans consider using a primer like Gesso beforehand so the paint will adhere well to the can. You can also decorate with stickers.

Punch a few holes in the bottom of the clean can for drainage before you decorate the outside. Place a few rocks on the bottom of the can. Then fill the can with potting soil and plant seeds or seedlings. Place in a sunny location. Your children can watch their plants grow. Note: If you each plant a different herb you can have a windowsill herb garden, and then your kids can even see how these herbs can be used in cooking - for yet another educational moment!

Take the age and attention span of your children into account before choosing a craft. Earth Day is a day that can be both fun and educational. Help your children learn about caring for the earth in a fun way they’ll remember.

How to Raise Environmentally Responsible Kids

If you are concerned about the future of the environment, it makes sense to raise your children to be environmentally responsible. After all, the future belongs to them. Investing in your kids and making them aware of the planet is one of the most environmentally responsible things you can do.

Image via WikipediaHere are some ideas on how you can raise your kids to respect the planet and want to preserve it!

* Foster a love of nature in your kids. Get out into it and go on hikes, field trips (literally), picnics, cookouts, camping, and fishing trips. Consider getting bikes for the family and going out biking in the woods or on trails. Take your kids to play in a nearby park or encourage them to play outdoors in your yard. This means limiting television and other electronic pursuits.

* Identify plants, animals, constellations, leaves, and other things in nature. Check out some field guides and take your kids to a natural area. Then collect and identify flowers, leaves, feathers, rocks, and so forth.

* Encourage your kids to participate in local clean-up projects. Consider beginning one if your neighborhood or community does not already have such an event. It's very eye-opening for your kids to see the extent of the trash and litter that builds up in a given area.

Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr* Grow your own food if possible, even if it's just a few plants in containers. Your kids will be enlightened to see what it takes to grow food and how the natural elements (air, water, sunlight) come together to produce food. (Check out our Sustainable Gardening blog, where we do occasionally feature articles on including your kids in creating your own sustainable garden.)

* Recycle with your kids. This doesn't just mean having them help organize recyclables into bins and taking them to the facility. It also means teaching them creative recycling - how to fix and refurbish, for example, instead of throwing something out and buying a new replacement. Encourage your kids to make their own toys and crafts, especially out of recyclables, rather than going to a craft store or buying new toys.

* Gather wild foods. Children usually love this. Get a good book on gathering wild foods, or find an expert in your area who can show you. Whether it's raiding a blackberry patch, gathering nuts, or picking dandelion greens to cook as a potherb, harvesting nature's gifts really fosters a sense of appreciation for everything nature has to offer.

* Include your kids in your household energy-saving goals. Make sure everyone is on board with shortening showers and turning off lights. Make sure they know why - it's not just about lowering the utility bills.

Helping your kids learn the impact of their decisions, and their responsibility for their environment, will equip them to move forward into this new century in a responsible and sustainable way. Remember that our kids will be the scientists of the future, developing innovative ways to keep our species alive and well for centuries to come. Give them a good start by teaching them how they can have a positive impact on their planet.