Sustainability For Kids – Play Based Learning With an Eco Twist!

10 Apr

SUSTAINABILITY FOR KIDS – PLAY BASED LEARNING WITH AN ECO TWIST!

At a time when society is becoming more environmentally aware, sustainability for kids starts at home. Wooden toys are not only stylish and timeless but much more environmentally friendly. Choosing toys made from natural materials encourages your child’s fine motor skills and helps with their brain development. Plastic toys, by comparison, offer less quality sensory stimulation and are the less eco-friendly choice.

Promote sustainability for kids by limiting plastic toy purchases

Children play with toys from a young age, and doing so is important for their development. But with TV and YouTube ads heavily influencing choice, the pressure to buy branded plastic toys is strong. Though plastic figurines of their favourite superheroes or TV characters might seem thrilling to your little one, these toys do little to promote sustainability for kids because the materials used to make such products can be filled with chemicals. And given it’s highly unlikely to find a recycle symbol on the bottom of a child’s plastic toy, they eventually end up in landfill.

Wooden toys for children as the sustainable alternative

Steering away from plastic toys not only helps you promote sustainability for kids but it also presents you with a stylish array of alternatives. Wooden toys such as pretend wooden play food or beautiful wooden cubby houses spark imaginative play and are much better for the environment. Wooden toys are made from a renewable resource and are biodegradable when past their best; plastic toys are not.

How to stop buying into the plastic toy trap

Sustainability for kids is much broader than simply choosing wooden toys but it’s a good place to start. So how do you steer away from the plastic fantastic in favour of beautifully made wooden toys? Every child will covet a certain kind of plastic toy but education starts at home. Talk to your kids about the toys they play with, how they were made and what their lifespan might be. Simple, kid-friendly explanations can help your child understand why plastic should be bought in moderation. And when it comes to birthday and Christmas presents from friends or relatives, don’t be shy about recommending alternatives to plastic. Wooden toys have timeless charm and can be handed down from generation to generation making them a wonderful keepsake gift.