Small actions to teach children to protect the planet

Here are a few small daily actions to give our children good reflexes for life.

We follow the seasons

To understand his environment, a child needs to feel, to touch, to observe. For the little ones, we start by getting to know nature. Direction the forest to put your hands in the earth, look for chestnuts and collect dead leaves.
From 3 or 4 years old, you can make pretty garlands with these leaves. Always relevant, the timeless herbarium will also be a huge success with your children and allow them to visualize all the diversity that nature offers us.

You can also buy or make a calendar on which the seasons appear so that it begins to understand the evolution of the weather in the year, by including a weather corner to modify each day. A fun and educational moment that you will enjoy sharing together in the morning.

We teach kids to observe, to listen

Explain to them that if they crush the flowers, the bees will no longer be able to forage on them; that they must leave the insects alone so that the birds can feed. Speaking of birds: why not take a trip to a garden center to buy them seeds. At any age, children will be amazed to see them approach and peck.

Of course, we follow the rhythm of the seasons, including on the plates. Cherries are summer. The opportunity to explain to them that a summer fruit eaten in winter is all about airplanes or boats, and therefore pollution. Pollution contributes to global warming, and consequently to the disappearance of certain animals.

We also favor organic products, better for us and for the planet, in our daily food consumption of course but also for our care products. So we have fun while respecting the environment. Banco!

We recycle as much as possible

At home, we set up a selective sorting system. So try to get a child to do something that you don't do yourself! We therefore install several bins in his kitchen: one for glass, one for paper and plastic if they are thrown in the same trash (according to the sorting instructions of your municipality), one for non-recyclable waste, and possibly one for compost if you want to make it. Choose different colors so that your child, even very young, can easily distinguish and identify them. You can even paste an image on each bin to help. He will be able to throw his glass yoghurt pot in a bin, the bottle of his shower gel in the recyclable plastic bin, etc.

We are also trying to throw away less, to reduce our waste. Are there any green vegetables left? They are served as a gratin. Glass yoghurt pots? We make candle holders with the children, you just need to have special markers.
From 4 years old, a child normally holds his marker well enough to make a great decoration!
A sheet of paper has two sides, we use them and we teach them that the paper comes from trees, and from the age of 7, we talk about deforestation, even palm oil involved in it.

Sorting is also thinking about the future. So, 250 recycled soda cans, that's a brand new bike on arrival! Recycled plastic makes it possible to make wadding that keeps warm in down jackets … In short, there are a multitude of examples that we can share with children.

Many cities offer science workshops, let's sign up! In Paris, think of the National Museum of Natural History.

Playful ecology

Good habits can also be learned while having fun. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. A faucet that runs for a minute is the equivalent of 12 liters. How many bottles is that?
Parents who have a garden or a terrace can introduce their children to the joys of gardening. A personal vegetable garden is the opportunity to observe each step of the seeds, until the pleasure of tasting. But also to learn patience! However, it is better to plant vegetables that grow quickly: salads, beets, radishes and carrots need three weeks to three months to reach the plates.
In the city, it is still possible, and children love, to sprout lentils or avocado pits. Success guaranteed!

Handicrafts, children are fans. Why not have them turn old CDs into coasters, or a shoebox into a personalized pencil holder?

Also have them write a little green "house rules", which they will post in the kitchen:

• We don't throw anything on the ground,
• We give our toys and books when we no longer use them rather than throwing them away,
• We put the toys that we no longer use at the collection points,
• We turn off the light when we leave a room,
• We turn off the TV when we are not watching it,
• We prefer showers to baths and walking to the car!
• We recycle the batteries – Under adult supervision, of course. Be aware that all used batteries and small batteries can be recycled, including rechargeable batteries –

To make this mission more fun, we suggest that you create a battery box with your child. Stickers, glue, glitter, designs, customize your battery box endlessly.

Once full, all you have to do is drop off the collected batteries at a collection point. An eco-organization like Batribox or Corepile will recycle them.
Mission accomplished !

The little extra idea: How about organizing a school or college fundraiser?

If you want to learn more about the habits to adopt to reduce waste, reuse your objects and sort them well, visit the website of the #LesBonnesHabitudes campaign.

3 easy ideas to implement from 2 years old

• Do not spoil the toilet paper: when your big baby starts to get clean and spends hours on the potty, he may tend to play with the toilet paper and use more than necessary. Do not encourage this practice, although it may help distract him, and teach him to take a reasonable number of sheets.
• Forget the paper towel: in the same vein, try to avoid as much as possible the use of kitchen towels in your home. If baby spills his glass of water or compote, give him a sponge and then a tea towel to help you clean up.
• Avoid packaging: on a daily basis, opt for bulk consumer products as much as possible. His various snacks can thus be kept in a pretty box that he will gladly take out at snack time. Also prefer gourds to water bottles to give him the habit of not throwing too much plastic.

– Article produced in partnership with MTSE –