It’s never too early to learn responsible habits to take care of our environment. Getting kids interested in recycling at an early age will foster the habit into their adulthood and strengthen the chances of them teaching their kids to recycle one day in the future. With kids, of course, it’s not always as easy as just explaining environmental responsibilities. You have to find ways to make recycling interesting for them. Here are some of our tips for starting the recycling habit in your young ones.
Arts and Crafts Time with Recycled Materials
Kids love to make art, and making art with recycled materials is easy, creative, and helps enforce that you can do more with those paper towel rolls, cans, and plastic bags than simply throw them in the trash. After your first arts and crafts session, tell your child to try to save anything they think they could make into art for the next session. When making art, you can make something of your own as an example or give your child the reins and let their zany imagination take over. Who knows? Maybe this will be the start of a very promising recycled art career for them.
Read Books to Them About Recycling
Did you know there are children’s books about recycling? Don’t Throw It Away by Laura Bergen is a lift-the-flap book all about “an eco-conscious superhero who teaches kids how to recycle and reuse household items.” The book was published by Little Green Books, who have a whole series of children’s books about recycling and protecting the earth. The books are even made with eco-friendly recycled paper. Another fun children’s book about recycling is Why Should I Recycle? By Jen Green, part of the Why Should I? book series.
Teach By Example
Your children are going to look to you for an example of what they should do and who they should be. So, as in any other instance of teaching children, the best way to teach them is by example. Recycle regularly yourself. If you recycle something that your local recycling company doesn’t pick up, maybe take the kids on a car ride with you to the appropriate drop-off site so they can see that you go out of your way to recycle. Point the recycling bins out to them when you pass them. If they ask you why you recycle so much, tell them why you think it’s important to recycle. Even if they seem to make fun, kids will follow your lead more than you realize and for longer than you can imagine.
If you live in Brazos Valley, Texas outside of Bryan-College Station city limits, Brazos Valley Trash Valet & Recycling makes recycling a little easier for you and for your little ones. They provide recycling services to the outer areas of Brazos Valley and collect plastics 1-7, unlike most competitors who only collect plastics 1-2. Contact them about getting your own big maroon bin today, and make sure you point it out to your kids.
