It’s never too early to teach children about the environment. Learning how to care for the earth helps them develop empathy—you’ll also raise eco-conscious kiddos in the process. One way to make learning fun is by teaching them how to compost.
You can turn any organic material around your household into compost. Food scraps, wood chips, and old newspapers—using these kinds of materials is an easy way to get your kids into composting. While they might not care much about the future of waste management, they’ll have a blast getting their hands dirty with one of these educational activities.
Start a Countertop Compost Bin
The easiest way to teach children about composting is for them to see it in action. Starting a countertop compost bin will allow them to gain hands-on experience. The best part is that you can do it all from the comfort of your kitchen!
Choose a sturdy container with a lid and drill holes through the top. Fill your compost bin with soil, eggshells, coffee grounds, and other organic materials. Let your little ones add their food scraps and water every day, and watch your compost bin get to work.
Add Compost to Your Garden
Learning about composting means nothing if your kids don’t know how to use it. Once you’ve created enough compost, take your materials and kiddos out to your garden. Let them add compost to the soil and teach them about the incredible benefits.
Compost will transform your family garden. Decomposing organic matter adds vital nutrients to help plants thrive. You can use this opportunity to teach your kids about their favorite flower and the benefits of growing your own food.
Start a Worm Farm
If your kids love creepy crawlers, you can’t miss your chance to start a worm farm. Worms are decomposers and aid in the composting process. You could turn your family compost bin into a worm paradise or let your children make their own farms.
You can create a worm farm the same way you make a compost container, just on a smaller scale. You can use two-liter soda bottles, mason jars, or milk jugs to house your new wriggly friends. A worm farm is an excellent way to combine lessons about the environment and responsibility.
Getting your kids into composting is so easy! Educating children about composting is just as important as teaching your kids about recycling. As they grow, your kids will be able to expand on these lessons and develop into adults who care about the environment.