Teaching kids to be eco-friendly

Getting your kids to take an interest in the environment can help to instil good habits. But encouraging them to get more involved can prove tricky.

To get you inspired, we’ve come up with a few ways you can teach your little ones to be eco-friendly while having fun too.

Introduce them to wildlife

Encouraging your kids to learn about their local wildlife is a great way to get them thinking about natural habitats. Taking part in indoor and outdoor Wildlife Watch activities is a fun place to start. They can also work their way towards achieving the Wildlife Watch awards.

There are guides on everything from how to make your own compost to creating hidey-holes for nature, providing lots of inspiration on how you can make your garden more wildlife-friendly.

Local Wildlife Trusts also regularly hold events suitable for children, including sensory outdoor play for 0-2 year olds, pond nature sessions for pre-schoolers and Wildbeach Wednesdays for older kids. These are good opportunities to introduce them to the environment and teach them about conservation.

Let them help with the recycling

Asking your kids to recycle at home can help create awareness of looking after the environment. Why not try putting them in charge of the recycling at home, or creating a rewards chart where they can earn gold stars for remembering to recycle?

On top of recycling, you could also let your children get creative by upcycling old or unwanted household items. From turning tin cans into pen pots to transforming jam jars into little lanterns, there are plenty of imaginative ways to reduce your household waste.

Start walking or cycling from A to B

When possible, why not start travelling by foot instead of hopping in the car? Walking to the shops or school will help to significantly reduce your household’s carbon footprint.

If it’s not feasible for you to walk your kids to school, you could look to see if there’s a Walking Bus in your area, where children can walk in a group accompanied by volunteers.

Cycling is also a fun way to get your little ones out and about. If there are child-friendly cycle paths in your area, then why not take the opportunity to go on a bike ride instead of taking a drive?

Get them involved in local projects

There are a number of organisations that let your kids help with environmental projects, from cleaning up beaches to conserving natural environments.

The RSPB allows children to volunteer accompanied by an adult. Opportunities can involve anything from monitoring species of birds to managing nature in protected areas.

The Marine Conservation Society is also happy for them to get involved with looking after our coastlines, with thousands of young volunteers helping out at beach clean-ups all over the country.

There are plenty of fun ways to teach your kids how to be eco-friendly. With so many activities to get involved in across the UK, you’ll probably be able to find a great opportunity right on your doorstep.