10 Ways to Teach Your Kids about Recycling ...

Exercise is good for kids and so is recycling; so one of the beneficial ways to teach kids about recycling is to combine the two. A lot of families live in neighborhoods where the nearest all purpose store is just a walk along the road. Instead of driving, get your child used to walking when you go shopping. Not only will you buy less for easier carrying and save some money, but you will also save on all that waste packaging and car fumes going into the atmosphere.

Kids are innovative and can make toys to amuse themselves from a lot of materials that get thrown away. These include egg cartons, cans and jars that can be used for painting projects. Your scrap paper is useful for coloring and making all sorts of decorations and having fun is useful in helping kids learn about recycling.

Get your children involved in managing your recyclables by setting up a container in the garage for cans and jars that can earn them pocket money. Make recycling part of their weekly chore duties as well. A little incentive often goes a long way.

You can also add to kids’ environmental education by telling them about waste materials and how they can be transformed into garden soil. Making compost and seeing the results is another of the fun ways of teaching kids to recycle and bringing them in touch with nature.

A lot of children have toys tucked away that they never use and the same with clothes. Going through their closets and drawers with them can reveal a whole treasure chest of items. They can be sold at a garage sale, donated to a charity for other kids to enjoy, or even exchanged for new toys. Whichever you choose, they will be recycled for further use and that is a great way to show kids how to recycle.

Kids like responsibility and being made to feel important. Give them a boost by putting them in charge of making sure lights are turned off in rooms that are unoccupied. This will not only help your electricity bill but also help Mother Earth.

Gardening is another way for your children to get to in touch with and develop a respect for nature. Get them involved and even dirty in a garden they create themselves. They can grow their own veggies for tasty snacks and it is another way to educate kids about recycling. They can have some great fun at the same time.

Saving energy is critical to the planet and most people do not think about how much energy and water are needed to run a dishwasher. Let your child help you wash some dishes – it’s good training for the future!

Kids love snacks, especially on the move. Let them pack their own healthy lunch in eco-friendly containers. It gets them involved and teaches them about health and the environment.

The more washing of clothes that is done, the more energy and water are taken from the planet. Let the children help with the laundry and explain what is happening at each stage. They could start thinking before they just throw clothes in the washing basket after wearing them once.

This was just a few thoughts on ways to teach your kids about recycling. Maybe you even learned something new yourself that you can start putting into action. Do you think it’s important we educate kids about recycling?