Do you need some ideas for green activities for kids? We are constantly being encouraged to make the planet greener and to make positive changes in our lives to make the world a more eco friendly place. For the majority of us, a busy lifestyle doesn't leave us much time to consider how we can encourage our children to adapt to this way of thinking. With the rise of social media, often children spend their time consumed in the world of technology and hours are spent watching television, playing computer games and surfing the Internet. However, by finding some fun green activities for kids, you can help to educate your children on the benefits of going green and enjoy spending some quality time together. Take a look at our list to discover some great ideas to try and see just how much fun green activities for kids can be.
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1. Gardening
A great way to spend some time outdoors and to encourage one of the best green activities for kids is gardening. Even if you don't have a big garden, you can still find plenty of things to do out there. Try planting some new bulbs or clearing all the weeds. If children have their own plants or area in the garden to look after themselves, it will really inspire them to remain interested and allow them to see the progress and results of their hard work. Not only can this time be educational but also it can provide hours of fun and much needed family time.
2. Board Games
When was the last time you got some board games out of the cupboard? Maybe it was so long ago that you can’t remember, so why not dig them out and give them a go? You may be surprised! Board games are a fun green activity and allow hours of entertainment for the whole family. They don't just have to come out at special occasions and are a great alternative to computer games. They encourage children to interact, think and problem solve too.
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3. Homemade Decorations
One of the most exciting green activities for children is to make their own decorations for special events, such as Halloween, Easter and Christmas. Some cards, pens, glue and string can provide children with hours of fun and creativity, plus you can use the decorations year after year.
4. Jumble Sale
One of the best ways to teach children about recycling is by having a jumble or garage sale. It's a good opportunity to have a good clear out and either sell or recycle any unwanted clothes, toys and goods. If the idea seems unappealing to your child then you could try suggesting that it’s to make space for new things, so it may be worth a mention around birthday or Christmas periods. By making it as fun as possible, you can make it into a game. For younger children you could set up a pretend shop.
5. Have Fun Outdoors
Spending more time outdoors is not only beneficial for our health but is also one of the most environmentally friendly activities for children. Going to a park or an adventure playground often proves popular and is a good way to encourage children to be outside more. For older children and something different, a fun time is guaranteed at a high ropes course, where kids can bring out their daredevil side by going on a zip line, walking along tightropes and climbing up walls.
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6. Collages
Collages are one of the most enjoyable eco friendly activities for kids to do. For the majority of us, we have old magazines lying around the house, which are ideal to use. Ask your child to find some pictures that they like and to cut them out and stick them down on some paper or card. You could try choosing a different theme each time.
7. Grow Your Own
It’s really important to educate children on where different foods come from and a great way to demonstrate this is through growing your own fruit and vegetables. You can help your kids make it into an ongoing project by making a scrapbook and noting all the results as the seeds grow. You can write it down, take photos and draw pictures along the way. This activity reflects one of the fun ways to reduce our carbon footprint.
8. Treasure Hunt
A fun game that you can do yourself either indoors or outdoors is a treasure hunt. Try hiding clues for the kids to find and enjoy watching the excitement on their faces as they successfully navigate and discover the hidden treasure. You could try relating the clues to environmentally friendly issues such as recycling, and put one of the clues in a bottle in the recycling box - you get the idea. Any way in which you can make learning fun is definitely worth trying.
9. Get Arty
Arts and crafts at home don’t have to be expensive and can provide many hours of fun. A good idea is to use any unwanted plastic bottles, tubs and cardboard and to make them into objects such as a space rockets. Children can then decorate them with paper, pens, foil or anything they fancy. And, then you can still recycle them once they're no longer played with. Another way of making some green activities for kids is by using any unwanted newspapers to make models out of paper mache. The main aim is to encourage imagination and creativity and in turn be a cheap, environmentally friendly activity for kids.
10. Camping
A great way to discover the great outdoors is to go camping. This is one of the most popular green activities for families and can be as part of your holiday or as simple as in your back garden. Try cooking on the campfire, then sitting round it telling stories whilst keeping warm. Children will see it as an adventure and for you it’s the perfect opportunity to spend quality time with them.
Unlike going green around the home, which can often involve some expense – such as buying organic food, which is always more expensive than regular products – green activities for kids mean minimal outlay, which is a great reason to get them off the couch and make them more environmentally conscious. Do you have any fun ideas to share?
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