Our planet is slowly turning its back against us, because we, as humans, have been paying less and less respect towards it. However, things are shifting and have been progressing over the past few years, and we are now realising that change starts with us. But even more so with our children. It has become utterly imperative that we teach our kids about living a mindful life, protecting our planet, and being responsible human beings, so that when they will have their own children, they will enjoy the same beautiful, fruitful planet we have lived in until recently.
This responsible behaviour starts with an easy game – it’s called show and tell. Kids learn best by seeing and doing. While talking to them about recycling might be good, it is even better when they can try it themselves, and get the real feel of their action and the outcome. My son was once talking about compost just after watching a Peppa Pig episode, so there you go.
Start in The Garden
From planting flowers, to growing your own fruit and vegetables, the garden is the number 1 place your kids can start learning about watering, feeding, and caring for plants, about nutritious earths, and vitamins, about the benefits of greens in their diets and about the responsibilities that come along with growing your own little garden. They will learn to stick to schedules, to get involved, to help out on Sundays, and to see their own little planted seeds grow into big chunks of cherry tomatoes or green basil.
And if you don’t have a house with a garden, Goop has made things easy, fun and accessible, with their little Classic Veritable Garden – a miniature indoor garden that provides the freshest rosemary, basil and any other herbs your kitchen will need and your kids will be happy to plant and watch grow.
It is easy, low-maintenance and organic.
Reuse, wash and microwave Sandwich Bags
Also from Goop, try using a reusable sandwich bag set – imagine how many plastic bags you are using to pack your kids’s sandwiches and snacks for school or for a picnic in the park. Now imagine not having to use a new one each time you want to pack a pretzel, apple slices, a muffin or carrot sticks. Made of food-grade silicone, these smart bags are safe to throw in the dishwasher and/ or microwave!
Drink from Bamboo Straws For The Kids’s Juices
The good news is that you can now find them in more and more coffee shops and restaurants, as people are becoming aware of the damage that plastic straws (and not only) have on the planet. This Bali Boo pack of 12 bamboo straws will help you and the kids live guilt-free for the rest of your smoothie-slurping, cocktail drinking, milkshake-loving life. Handmade with 100% natural bamboo, they are not only good-looking in your juice, but also safe for our planet.
Shop with a palm leaf market bag
One of the first things we did in our family to reduce plastic, is replace the ugly, damaging plastic bags from the supermarket, with one chic straw bag that I carry around everywhere. From grocery shopping, to flowers, toys, and picnic essentials, this palm leaf market bag is big and nice-looking and both useful and stylish, and also planet friendly.
Glass Water Bottles
How much water you’re drinking, how much sleep you get, what you’re eating, whether you’re working out, your stress levels – good or bad, it all shows on your face. When we’re properly hydrated, our skin looks more toned, our lips are softer and our hair is shinier. And if you can drink water from a classy bottle, even better! This glass water bottle from Herbivore is perfect to fit in your diaper bag, gym bag, fits in the car and the stroller, and will protect the environment as well.
Eat From Bamboo Bowls & Plates
Forget about plastic cups, bowls, plates and cutlery – your little ones are better of in bamboo! And with new, adorable brands like Dodoli, you can now mix utility with style, as they are so adorable you will want to use them too. You can choose from so many different forms, and they all come with a silicone anti-slip band and an attached bamboo & silicone spoon.
Set a Countertop Compost Bin by GOOP
Set this pretty box on your kitchen counter, or anywhere you like to prep food, and stow away compostables from egg shells to coffee grounds to fruit peels—composting is good for the environment, not to mention good for your garden, and this bin makes it easy by neatly sealing everything up in the process. You can find it on Goop!
Let children explore, try, fail, try again, and turn recycling and preserving the planet in a fun game, where they not only hear about rules and strategies, but also get to try them on their own skin. Let them watch educational cartoons (like Peppa Pig) that talk about this topic, let them pick out their own favourite reusable sandwich bags or composting bins, and you will see they will get into it so quickly, and will be so proud to be helping out!
Show them the results of their work – the garden and veggies they planted, the plants that have grown thanks to their compost in the ground, the objects that came out of their recycled plastic, etc.
Enjoy & let’s make this a better planet!
