If you have a goal, whatever that is, the more people around you who get involved, engaged, and support you, the better.
It might be personal goals like getting fit, eating more healthily, saving money, or a more altruistic goal like supporting a cause, helping the community, or making behaviour changes that make a difference to the world.
If you want to live greener lifestyle, and you have a family, getting them on board will not only make it more achievable, but fun and satisfying as well.
And what’s also clear is that young people and children are passionate about the environment, even feeling a responsibility to ‘save’ the planet. Therefore they’ll be highly likely to embrace any steps, changes, activities you make to go greener as well as putting forward their own ideas.
Here’s five great ways to involve the family in more eco-friendly living.
1. Getting around
Embracing walking and cycling as a way of getting around locally or while on holiday has fitness and wellbeing benefits as well as a positive impact on reducing emissions. If you don’t have bikes, a lot of outdoor venues have them for hire, and if you’re walking, stocking up on snacks and ideas for word or observation games on route can make the whole experience even more fun.
2. Picking eco-friendly holidays and activities
Most kids genuinely love nature and being outdoors (once they are dragged away from their devices). Good old nature-based activities like picnics, lying under the stars, climbing trees, and camping are brilliant ways to bond, feel good, and appreciate our planet. If you are picnic-ing, get the kids involved in ways to make the picnic more eco-friendly, from researching bamboo kits, reusable water bottles, and alternatives to cling wrap and other plastics. If you want to really go for it, check out eco-lodges for a truly green experience.
3. Arts, crafts, and DIY
Hours of holiday time can be whiled away with arts and crafts, which usually involves paper, paint, and scissors. How about swapping that for making soap, candles, or DIY products for the home? Left over soap scraps can be saved and then turned into new soap (scented to your preference), laundry soap, or shower scrubs.
You could make your own bath salts, dry shampoo, or candles.
Why not get really creative and dig through the recycling and have a go at junk modelling project, even a competition between kids for extra fun, or look at how recycled items could be repurposed e.g. old candle jars decorated and turned into pen pots.
4. Learn together
There are some fantastic documentaries available that children and young people will love. Planet Earth, Blue Planet and others are lovely to watch together, offering fascinating insights into nature and our planet. You could also visit zoos and wildlife sanctuaries and for the ultimate eco-learning experience the Eden Project in Cornwall is incredible. Even if you can’t visit, their website is full of exciting resources and information.
5. Get involved and inspired
Have a family brainstorm on how to make the home more eco-friendly. Perhaps give prizes for the best idea, or for the most green tasks completed. Make a shopping list together and look at everything that could be switched or avoided for a greener home. Changing habits and researching new brands together will help instil a more eco-friendly attitude for life and show your children that you’re committed as a whole family to making a positive change.
