Go Green Activities For Elementary Students

Most adults are familiar with the peril our planet is in, and the more sensible ones do their best in order to help the environment through various ways. However, kids are not like this. They don’t know anything about fossil fuel emissions, carbon footprints and so on. If you would like to raise a child who cares about the environment and will lead an eco-friendly lifestyle, you will have to not only embrace some green practices but teach children how and why. Here are several suggestions for Go Green Activities For Elementary Students to help them learn in a hands on way.

5 Fun Go Green Activities For Elementary Students

Start a garden 

This is a great go green activity for students. It allows  you to take children outdoors and help them learn about the nature. Teach your kid about the importance of growing your own food, organic fruit and vegetables, free from any hormones and pesticides.  Teaching kids gardening will help them understand where things come from and that the process matters.

If you don’t have enough space for a garden, you can teach your child about organic foods by container gardening. A window herb garden is also an excellent choice for classroom or kitchens.

The size of the garden is not crucial. It can even be a small corner of your backyard, where you can plant various herbs, and veggies. If the space allows it, you may even want to plant a tree together. This is one of the best things a parent and a child can do together, for they will have left something significant behind them and will watch the tree grow for years.

Recycle together

Teaching your kids about protecting the environment through recycling is one of the easiest options. In a certain room in your house, set bins, which are to be filled with different goods that can be recycled. This includes plastic, paper and glass ones. This way you can teach your son or daughter about what can be recycled and reused. Grab a few common items that they would normally throw in the trash but that they should be recycling and talk about how these products can be given a second life.

Creating a kids’ Recycle Craft Box is also a good idea. This could be any box or a bigger container in which your kid could put all the stuff that could be later reused and turned into DIY eco crafts. Things you can use for the purpose are soda cans, egg cartons and pretty much anything else your imagination tells you.

Donate old toys and clothes

This is the best way to teach what can be done to things that are not needed anymore, but could be put into good use by someone else. This will also turn your son/daughter in a generous adult. Make him/her realize that there are kids out there that are unfortunate enough to not be able to afford whatever some take for granted. This is a valuable lesson on reusing and human values. Go through your child’s possessions in the beginning of each season and consider donating clothes that don’t fit anymore and toys that are not used on a regular basis anymore. 

If this is a school project, organize a clothing drive for a local homeless shelter.

Garage and yard sales

This one is a classic, and is basically one of the best ways to get rid of items you don’t need anymore, be they electronics, pieces of interior, etc. Use your kid’s help to set the tables on which you are to put your ‘merchandise’. This is a double-win endeavor, as it will teach your child not only about the fact that “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”, but also how to deal with money. For example, if s/he is old enough, you can make him/her the ‘cashier’. You want want to reader Yard Sale Tips For Buyer and Seller.

Turn off and unplug

Talk to your kids about why electricity conservation is important. Walk around the house and point out any instances of electrical waste. Teach them to turn off lights when not in use.  Share with your kids the need for switching off all electronics that are not being used – TVs, DVD players, computers. This not only harms the environment, but also has negative effect on your electricity bill.

Explain how opening a window is a great alternative to turning on the AC. Do not just talk about turning off electrical appliances, talk about the alternatives to electricity use such as solar power.

A Bonus Idea: Take Kids on a Educational Shopping Trip

Many products are produced in a manner that is not eco-friendly. Walk around the store and point how packaging and production techniques can harm the environment. Compare the advantages of using green products and organic foods to those that are not.  Talk about which items are packaged in the most eco-friendly manner or the least.  

Conclusion

Living in a manner that is eco-conscience helps lessen the damage caused to the earth. For environmental preservation efforts to work, it is important to get as many people on board as possible. Kids can easily be taught how conserve, reuse and recycle at a young age. Teaching kids to care about the environment will help them grow up to not see conservation efforts as chore, but something worth taking part in. I hope you enjoy these Go Green Activities For Elementary Students to teach kids to be more environmentally friendly.

Green living is important to the survival of the earth. Everyone should do their part to reduce the negative impact their action have on the environment. Teaching kids about conservation early is a good way to ensure that the next generation of adults practices eco-conscious living.  How do you help your kids make eco-friendly choices?  We’d love to hear your ideas for green activities for kids @familyfocusblog!

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