Do you ever feel inundated with plastic toys? I know
I do. Sometimes it's hard to find for our kids the simple, more
environmentally-friendly type of toys that we had growing up. Try
finding a metal toy pot/pan set or simple wooden blocks and you'll see
what I mean. Non-toxic (and by that I primarily mean non-plastic) toys
exist, but they are often hard-to-find and/or hard-to-afford.
Thankfully, we have the internet to help us find these sort of items.
But it can also be hard to know how to teach our
children how to live a greener life. By far, the best way to do this
is by modeling a sustainable lifestyle for them, but sometimes it helps
to be more specific and practical with kids, too.
Here are a few ideas for going green with your kids without breaking the bank:
1. Get Crafty. Babies and toddlers will love
to play with a few balls of yarn or some fabric that you might have
lying around. When they're a little older, you can even teach them to
knit, like Amanda Soule does in her book, The Creative Family .
2. Think Simply. Sometimes the best toys come
from things lying around the house. We all know how much fun a
cardboard box can be for a little one. I once made a shaker toy out of
a toilet paper roll and some beans, and covered it with duct tape - my
daughter loved it!
3. Go Outside! Living in San Diego county
provides the benefit of great weather. Go outside with your kids to
play in the yard, at the park, or at the beach. Instead of the cheap
plastic toys (which will probably break or may get chewed up by a
curious pet), round up a few items from your kitchen (think empty
cottage cheese or yogurt containers) or garage that could be used for
sand toys. You could even go on a nature walk and inspect the plants
you find.
4. Plant a Garden. There's no better way to
teach your kids about living a more sustainable life then by showing
them how to grow their own food. You can even start small with a few
pots and some herbs. I recently planted a few seeds and let my toddler
help me scoop the organic potting soil into an egg-crate in which I
planted the seeds. I want to start teaching her even at a young age
how growing our own food saves fossil fuels that are normally used up
to bring food to our grocery stores.
If you have more kid-friendly green ideas, please share them in the comments!
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