How to teach children to respect the environment

Respect for the environment

It doesn't take much to instill an eco-sustainable lifestyle in your children; the important thing is to do it in a fun and creative way . Here are some helpful tips:

• Involve children in process of disposing of waste produced at home teaching them how to recycle and above all, explaining to them what would happen if all the waste were piled up without any criteria. For example, you can try explaining to the little ones what happens a plastic bottle if it is not properly recycled or even worse how much it pollutes if it is abandoned on the beach or in a green park;

• Teach them that the newspapers they read or the paper they drew on should not be thrown away with normal waste but should be recycled.. Put a trash can in his room so he can throw it in the paper he no longer needs;

• If you have a garden, teach them that domestic wet waste can be transformed into a natural fertilizer for plants. Children will be fascinated by it;

• Explain to children how important it is not to contribute to air pollution. that we breathe;

• Teach them that cars pollute and that if we don't have to travel a long way it's better to move on foot or by car. bicycle. Instead of taking the children to school every day by car you could try to organize a sort of carpooling between parents: Every morning, a parent takes turns accompanying their children to school. It's also a fun way for the little ones to socialize before arriving at class.

• Also teach them not to waste water and explain that there's no need to let the water run too fast when taking a shower. For example, try setting a timer every time your children shower and offering a small reward if they finish before the timer goes off.
• The turn off the tap while brushing your teeth is another way to avoid unnecessary waste of water;
• Same thing for the lights on: it is important that children learn to save electricity;

• During the winter, when it's cold, instead of turning the thermostat up too high, have children wear something heavier;

• Teach them that food should not be wasted and that it is important to finish everything on your plate.. Maybe try to make mealtime fun in order to convince them to eat even those foods that they often don't want to hear about, such as the vegetables;

• Do you often take your children for a walk? walk in the countryside or in a public park to make them understand how important it is to respect nature;

• If you go to a playground, teach them to respect all the facilities present.: they are an asset to the entire community and for this reason they must always be kept in good condition.

Eco-friendly behaviors for children

Some eco-friendly behaviors for children involve lifestyles, which should be passed down from parents to children. For example:

• Il gardeningand the pleasure of gardening are things you can do from a young age, even in very small spaces.
• Exchange and sharing These are two key words in the circular economy and sustainability. And they also apply to your children's wardrobes.
• - animals, in general, should be respected, but they should not even frighten.
• To donate, to do voluntary: these are gestures and behaviors that the sooner they start, the better it is for everyone, parents and children.

How to explain sustainability to children

Two things are important and helpful when explaining sustainability to children . First, collaboration between school and family. If children are encouraged to explore these topics at school, it will be easier to share and discuss them at home. In this regard, and this brings us to the second helpful factor, we need to lighten the concept of sustainability. There's no point in scaring children with environmental catastrophizing; better to do some useful reading on environmental issues together. And always keep the optimism of willpower as a compass : the world can be changed, and it's up to the new generations to do it.

How to respect the environment at school

School is a crucial place for teaching children about respect for the environment and sustainability in general. To help them in this discovery, it's important for parents and teachers to work together effectively, through a few simple gestures.

• Go to school in bike, on foot, or by public transport.
• Avoid waste. From food waste in canteens to energy waste with the lights always on, even during the day, in classrooms.
• Reduce at least the paper consumption.
• To teach and share the importance of trees. Even in schools. Planting just one tree can be a revolutionary gesture for children's environmental education.
• Seek, while having fun, recycle paper, fabric, glass, cans and newspapers.

A book with 50 eco-activities for children

The literature offering suggestions and guidance for green play for children is vast , but it often falls into banality or suggests things too complex to be truly achievable. A case in point, however, is the book 50 Eco-Activities for Children (published by Il Punto d'incontro), by Marie Lyne Mangilli Doucé . The text contains suggestions that can be applied anywhere —in the city, at the seaside, in the countryside, and in all seasons. The common thread connecting a game of capturing the mystery of a blooming flower with cooking with leftovers and toys made from recycled materials is one: sustainability . Even as a source of enjoyable entertainment.

Read also:

• Positive Education: Teaching Happiness in School and Transforming Children into Healthy, Conscious Adults
• Children at a restaurant, a fight, and torture. Due to the stupidity of rude parents.
• In the classroom? No, in the woods (photo). The children participating in the Villa Chigi Foundation project.
• Don't waste: teach children this with this little book
• Lastanzadigreta, the band that plays with leftovers. And they put on concerts for children.