We asked Bordessa, along with other experts, to weigh in on clever eco-friendly life hacks kids can use to protect the planet \u2013 as well as fostering a lifelong love for the Earth. Here\u2019s how to help them hack away!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pet perks<\/h2>\n\n\n\nMake your own pet toys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Old egg cartons, cardboard boxes, and toilet paper tubes can be perfect for kids to construct a treat puzzle for pets to engage with. When the furry friends are finished, just add the rubbish to your compost bin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Well-worn towels, used bedding, and even some T-shirts are perfect snooze-time accessories for animals in shelters and vet\u2019s offices. Check with your local operators to see what they\u2019re accepting and have kids gather up the \u2018new\u2019 bedding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an idea to protect the planet and <\/em>get kids to brush their teeth! See how much extra toothpaste they can squeeze out of the tube once they think it\u2019s empty by rolling the package tightly up from the bottom and using a binder clip to keep it in place. The pressure will make it easier to get every last squirt \u2013 and repurpose a clip too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before your kids tries to toss an outgrown or mismatched sock \u2013 which will likely find its way to landfill \u2013 challenge them to see what else the sock could fit. For instance, use it to make hot chocolate mug cosies, hand puppets, beanbags, or small bags to hold loose game pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from heating and cooling our homes, so keeping your home colder in winter and warmer in the summer can go a long way in reducing CO2 <\/sub>waste. If kids complain that they\u2019re freezing inside, have them try a minute of star jumps or disco dancing before deciding if they really <\/em>need to turn up the heat. For cooling down in summer, try these tricks before reaching for devices<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n Kids might eat their veggies if they can recycle them! When preparing celery snacks, cut the stalks about two inches off the bottom, and keep the bulb. Have kids insert skewers into the sides of the bulb about an inch from the bottom, and let the skewers rest on the top of a shallow pan of water. Within a few days you\u2019ll start to see the roots grow. Plant it in a pot or your garden, and in about four months kids will have brand new celery to munch. Try it with spring onions, garlic or lettuce, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t add kids\u2019 old cartoon-character T-shirts to landfills \u2013 add them to your compost pile<\/a> instead. Cotton and other natural fibre T-shirts will break down and add to the organic fertiliser for the garden. Shred them and make sure to snip away non-natural parts \u2013 like many printed logos \u2013 before throwing them in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Encourage kids to create a four-minute playlist they can listen to in the shower \u2013 and when the songs are over, so is the cleanse! Scientists estimate that we use about eight litres of water every minute in the shower, and since the average one is about eight minutes long, cutting that time in half can have a big impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every toilet flush sends up to 13 litres of water down the drain. Reduce that by having kids put sand or rocks in a small milk bottle, filling it with water, then placing it in the toilet tank away from moving parts. The tank won\u2019t fill as much, which means less water wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set out a bucket to collect rainwater and ask kids to come up with creative ways to use it, like watering the garden<\/a> or filling pet bowls.<\/p>\n\n\n Instead of letting water drain down the sink while kids are waiting for it to warm up, have them catch it in a large bowl or pot. Then they can use it to rinse dishes, water indoor plants, or try fun science experiments<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the spring, help your local pollinators by making an easy \u2018bee water station.\u2019 Have kids add some pebbles to a shallow pan filled with water that\u2019s just below the top of the rocks. Place near flowers or pollinating trees and bushes so bees have an easy place to land and sip safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have four or five overripe bananas? In The Book of Nature Connection<\/em>, author Jacob Rodenburg suggests using them to make a butterfly potion. Blend the bananas with one cup of white sugar and a little bit of water. Pour that mixture along with one can of beer (optional!) into a big jar. Add just enough water to make it gooey and cover loosely. Then on a nice day, have kids soak a sponge in the solution and hang it from a tree or paint some rocks to attract butterflies.<\/p>\n\n\n Here\u2019s one less chore for kids \u2013 don\u2019t clean up leaves or tree limbs in your garden. Those can provide potential habitats for tasty insects as well as nesting birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have kids scout out your garden for evergreens (trees that don\u2019t lose their leaves) and hang your feeder nearby. This gives smaller birds a safer place to hide while eating so they\u2019re protected from predators like hawks or cats. More bird feeder tips here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Black oil sunflower seeds are popular with many varieties of birds, so offering that instead of mixed birdseed will attract more fliers for kids to watch. The grub will also mean fewer wasted seeds \u2013 and therefore fewer unwanted critters that are after the leftovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"eco-friendly](\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2024\/11\/EcoFriendlyLifeHacks-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nGive a good night’s sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Home hacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Good to the last squeeze<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sock it to me<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Three-minute workout<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"eco-friendly](\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2024\/11\/EcoFriendlyLifeHacks-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nRegrow snacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ratty shirts welcome<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Water works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sing in the shower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tank dam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Catch your water<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"how](\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2024\/11\/EcoFriendlyLifeHacks-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDouble duty<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Garden guardians<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bee <\/em>kind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Make butterfly potion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"eco-friendly](\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2024\/11\/EcoFriendlyLifeHacks-4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDon’t clean up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Move your bird feeder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Keep it seed simple<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Want more eco-friendly life hacks? Check out these ten ways to cut down on plastic. <\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Written by Heather Greenwood Davis. Image<\/strong>s all \u00a9 Adobe Stock.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"