Being environmentally-friendly may be adult responsibilities, but that does not mean you can’t educate the future generation to cultivate good habits early. Start with these 5 weekend indoor activities to keep your kids active and pave the ways for a more eco-conscious lifestyle that’ll benefit their future.
1. Recycling Bins
Put your kids’ eco-friendly knowledge into practice by teaching them different practical ways to recycle! Set out bins with labels like plastic, paper, and metal to encourage them to separate recyclables before throwing anything into the general waste bin. You can also take it up a notch by adding other bins, such as used clothes and toys to teach your kids the value in donating still-usable products to charity organisations.
2. Game Galore
Move away from the TVs, mobile phones and video games and get your game face on for an afternoon fun of traditional indoor games. You’ll get your share of nostalgic relief while the kids get to learn their traditional culture! Jackstone, Jolen and Gasing are a few good ones to start with, or if you’re thinking of something more casual, there’s always Snakes and Ladders, Jenga or role-playing games like Lutu Lutuan.
3. Edible Indoor Garden
Herbs like basil, rosemary, tarragon, oregano and thyme are considered easy to grow in a tropical climate like the Philippines, and will even perfume the kitchen with its light scent. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even try fruit trees like lemon, orange, limes and chilli (the leaves can be used as spices for food!). You can then assign the kids as caretakers to their plants and spice it up with a mini competition on whose plant will grow the fastest! For more ideas, read here.
4. Arts & Crafts Projects
From trash to treasure, these are some projects to keep your kids entertained for the day. Recycle used paper and get your kids to explore the house to DIY their texture rubbing art pieces. The final artwork can be used to wrap their books as protective covers! You can also get them to pick out clothes that they aren’t fond of wearing anymore, and change it up by dying them (here’s a step-by-step on dying clothes) or repurposing them into accessories like tote bags, handkerchiefs or hair ties!
5. Homemade Slime
Slime! Kids adore slime! And no, we’re not referring to the commercial kind that uses non-eco-friendly glue. We’re talking about non-toxic, borax-free, glue-free and definitely eco-friendly homemade slime that uses only 2 commonly found ingredients: cornstarch and warm water. Plus point? It can be done within a couple of minutes. Check the recipe out! Fair warning: it can get a little messy in exchange for hours of fun.
