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Our kids are our future, so it makes sense to get them to help the environment early on. Whether it’s getting them to help sort their rubbish into the compost bin and recycling bin, teaching them to look after things so they don’t break, or steering them to better choices when it comes to toys. Encouraging our kids to help the environment can be easy and fun, and Save Money Cut Carbon have lots of good ways to help us live more environmentally-friendly lives.
They have sent us the EcoEgg, along with some refills and detox tablets to prepare your washing machine, a set of seeds to make a herb garden, and SeedBoms to plant for bee-friendly and butterfly-friendly plants.
I think they are the perfect and fun ways to get kids in to helping the environment (and help you out too).
Why We Should Help Kids Help the Environment
Climate change is undeniable. Although it’s up to the big polluters, and environmentally-damaging companies to make huge changes, we can also do out bit. By educating our kids about these issues, and encouraging them to help the environment, we’re setting up the nest generation to make a real difference.
Kids are smart, and they care about their environment. Mine are always asking to do litter picks, and have made posters asking people to take rubbish home. They also totally get the recycling thing, and are super-keen to grow plants. They even turn off lights (though we are still working on the TV!)
It got me to thinking about other easy ways we can encourage our children to take care of the environment. Read on for my ideas.
1. Encourage a Love of Nature and Growing
So let’s start with nature appreciation. I think nature has become even more important to us over the last year and a half. Along with encouraging a bird and bug watching, we’ve also taken out a direct debit to support The Wildlife Trust. They send the girls a regular magazine to get them more interested in nature.
We planted a bunch of herb seeds together, which Thea in particular loved.
So far, only the Thyme has come up. I fear they were victims of a massive rainstorm we had last week. However, that is quite a good way to show the girls how hard it is to grow food. It shows we should do as much as we can to avoid food waste.
2. Save the Bees (and Butterflies) to Help the Environment
Did you know that 1/3 of the food we eat relies on bees? Showing kids how important pollinators like bees and butterflies are is key to saving them. Attracting pollinators to our gardens is essential and it can be really fun.
My daughters Ava and Thea loved planting the SeedBoms. This gift box has four biodegradable hand grenade-shaped ‘bombs’ that contains wildflowers. Our pack contains Pollinator Beebom, Urban Blooner, Featherbom and Butterfly Bom.
Organic peat free compost and plant seeds are packed inside a 100% compostable, starch-based shell. SeedBoms are designed to biodegrade into the environment, leaving only plants behind.All the packaging is plastic-free and recyclable – the shell will biodegrade in 5 weeks. All made lovingly in the UK, which is a big carbon footprint win for us.
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Just shake them up, soak in water and tear apart over the place you’re planting them. Our seeds started growing in under a week. We can’t wait until they start blooming and attracting more bees, butterflies and birds to our garden.
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3. Do the (Non Toxic) Laundry
Like most parents, I seem to spend a big proportion of my time doing the washing. With four of us in the house, plus all our reusable things like bamboo kitchen wipes and reusable period pants, it’s rare to see the bottom of the laundry hamper. My girls have a habit of putting everything in the wash, even if it doesn’t actually need washing.
I haven’t done this before as I wasn’t keen on them being around laundry liquid or pods. But thanks to an Eco Egg from Save Money Cut Carbon, the girls can just chuck it in on top of the laundry, with no worries about chemicals.
About The Eco Egg
The ecoegg Laundry Egg is an innovative product designed to be kinder to the environment. It contains no harsh chemicals, replaces your traditional laundry detergent and fabric softener, and helps reduce your plastic waste as well as care for your clothes more naturally. The natural mineral pellets are free from palm oil, SLS or SLES, parabens, petrochemicals, enzymes, phosphates and microplastics. They are encased inside a recyclable, BPA free egg-shaped container.
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The girls did a pretty good job hanging out the washing… I probably need to go over the idea of smoothing it out so you don’t have to iron it a bit more!
I hope this will show them what a pain washing is, so that they don’t automatically put everything in to wash. It is also showing them that they don’t need every piece of clothing to be washed every time they wear it. This will also help save water, energy (electricity and mine!) and therefore money. Plus each Eco Egg saves 14 plastic bottles.
I’ve written about the Laundry Eggs before, they are so cost effective and work well on normal laundry. They don’t leave as much of a scent as conventional washing powder or liquid but that doesn’t really bother me. The lilac one we have smells lovely, as does the blue one, but there is an unscented version as well.
4. Walk the Walk (and Bike the Bike)
Walking instead of taking the car is one of the best things we can do for the environment, and our health! Getting kids in the habit of walking is a free and easy way to get encourage kids to help the environment. Cycling is also a great environmentally-friendly way to get about, if you have further to go. We love it, even in the rain!
5. Recycle More
Another chore that I get my kids to help with is sorting the recycling. It’s a simple task and really gets them to think about the waste our family produces. My kids are totally on board with recycling everything from crisp packets to cereal inner bags and milk bottle tops.
We have a pretty extensive recycling scheme going on with out local Terracycle charity recycling collector. It means we can go beyond the basics like paper, card and cans.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my ideas to encourage kids to help the environment (with the added bonus of helping you!)
