Top activities to teach children about sustainability

Sustainability is really important to me. It is increasingly influencing my buying decisions, especially as I continue to reduce waste. I’m also trying to do whatever I can to cut down my use of plastic.

As part of my commitment I have discovered LOOLYN. This online store is a marketplace for eco-friendly sustainable products that don’t contain plastic.

I’m excited to have a guest post from Mary-Lou of LOOLYN. She is sharing her top activities to teach children about sustainability.

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Getting your children involved in sustainability at a young age is incredibly important and it’s easier than you think. Let’ be honest, they might not be interested in it or fully understand it, but you can get them started on positive habits for life if you show them the way now. And bonus, it will make life a little easier for the busy grown-ups of the house! 

Here are my top activities to teach children about sustainability.

Recycle bins

Get your little ones to create labels for a couple of different recycling bins in your home. Involving them will ensure they never forget what goes where. 

Putting the groceries away

Teach your children what packaging can be separated and put in to recycling before food gets put away. Cardboard wraps around yogurts are a classic example! You can also show them which food items have too much packaging, and those items that use recycled materials.  

Arts and crafts 

Now that you have your recycle bins and the children are merrily filling them up, you also have a ready supply of craft materials. Set your little artists a sustainable art challenge! 

Make your own suds 

Kids love mess and making potions, whether it’s in the bath or in the garden. Why not teach them to make homemade detergents for cleaning up the muck from their clothes? A quick google search will reveal a multitude of recipes to try. 

Plant your own

Teaching your kids to grow their own organic food helps save on the distance food has to travel to get to you. Gardening is also proven to have a positive effect on mental health.

Collect precious drops of rain

Challenge the children to put out as many containers as they can find to gather rain water. Then get them to use it to water your plants. They’ll love the activity as much as you’ll enjoy the break.  

Reduce food waste

Encourage your little ones to separate leftovers into containers for lunch the following day.

Sort the waste

While it’s great to reduce food waste, sometimes it’s just not possible to save leftovers. Teaching little ones that food waste goes in a particular bin for composting will get them thinking about feeding the earth with fertile soil. It might also save a fine from the council where errant food items make their way into the wrong bin! 

Author bio

Mary-Lou Fellowes is the co-founder of LOOLYN. She is committed to reducing her plastic footprint, which became her inspiration to start LOOLYN. As well as running the business Mary-Lou is a busy mum.