10 Green Tips For Kids This Summer

Stand for Less, a green organization in San Diego, has put together these 10 easy tips to help your kids do their part to protect the environment this summer. Teach your kids they can use LESS to do more for our Earth.

1. Teach your kids the importance of recycling. Put bottles and cans in the curbside recycling bin or exchange them for cash at a recycling center. Did you know you can run a TV for almost 3 hours on the same amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can?

2. Get your kids outside, away from the video games. Take them to a park, on a hike, to the beach or even your backyard. According to San Diego Gas & Electric, if you turn off the TV you will save 5 percent of the total energy used in your house.

3. Visit your local nature center. Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas has a children’s center that exhibits drought tolerant plants and artificial turf to save water.

4. Hold a yard sale. You will teach your children the reuse message by taking any outgrown clothes and toys and selling them to others, rather than throwing them in the trash.

5. Take a trip to the library. Sharing books is a great way to reduce waste and reuse materials. While you’re there, look for green books, including “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss and “Why Should I Save Water?” by Jen Green.

6. Don’t let your kids pile their plates with food at dinner. Encourage them to take what they’re able to eat. According to National Geographic, enough food to feed 49 million people ends up in landfills in the United States each year.

7. Spend a day at the beach. The Surfrider Foundation offers scheduled beach clean-ups that will help your child see the importance of properly disposing of waste. It’s a perfect opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and learn together as a family.

8. Teach kids to eat healthier and “green” by visiting your local farmer’s market. You’ll be supporting your local farmers, and locally-grown foods are fresher and more nutritious.

9. Don’t kill that spider! According to National Geographic there are an estimated 40,000 species of spiders, and they all eat insects. They’re an important part of the food web and provide natural pest control.

10. Get creative when reusing! Most things in your kitchen can be used for something else with a bit of imagination. Help your kids use empty yogurt containers to grow seeds in and empty Tupperware as storage containers for small art and craft items.

Visit standforless.com to learn more easy tips today! The organization is based in San Diego, but its suggestions certainly apply across California and the rest of the country.