Getting kids excited about going green isn’t difficult at all, if you go about it the right way! Many kids love to get dirty, so they’re really going to enjoy the gardening and creating a compost pile. Other kids love incentives, so read on to find out how to get your kids to GO GREEN with you!

Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

When the kiddos want paper to draw on, make sure they’re using both sides. After they’re done, have them recycle the paper.

Doing something as simple as letting the kids sort through the family trash and put recyclables in the proper bins will get the entire family started with recycling.

Teach your kids not only how to recycle, but why they should recycle. You want it to be something they want to do even when you’re not around.

What would the world look like if nobody reused or recycled? It wouldn’t be a pretty picture. Have the younger kids draw a picture of what they think it would look like, while you talk with the older kids about the serious consequences of trashing the Earth.

Gardening and composting.

Kids will love to help you make a compost pile. You don’t have to have a lot of room to create one, either! You can start with a compost bin under the kitchen sink, with materials like coffee grounds, orange peels, and veggies. Shake the bin a few times a week, and let it get some sun a few hours a day.

You can also start small with gardening, by growing herbs inside. If you have room to expand, create an organic garden in your back yard and use your compost to help tend the garden.

Explain to the kids what composting is. Check Composting101.com for info. You can even print off some worksheets from the internet to help answer some questions they may have about it.

Use less.

Teach your children why you aren’t buying bottled water. Show them that by walking to the store instead of driving, you’re helping the planet.

Use reusable grocery bags, and give them incentives for helping you remember to actually bring the reusable bags to the store.

Check out books from the library or buy used books instead of purchasing them new. Borrow videos from the library, or buy them locally – if you order them online, think about the resources that are being used to get the products to you.

Give.

Donate used clothes and toys to charities, homeless shelters, or stores like Goodwill. Let them shop around at places like Goodwill as well – you’d be surprised at the gems they will pick up!

Turn it off.

Give them an incentive to keep lights turned off, and electronics unplugged, when not in use. Shut off the water while you brush your teeth, and have them do the same. The incentive doesn’t have to be monetary, you can start a chart to see who can be the most energy efficient. The winner wins a walk to the park with Mom!

Not only will these things foster good deeds, it will also help them grow up with more efficient habits and will help others be green in the future. Read with them, 10 Things Kids Can Do to Go Green and Reduce Environmental Impact. It’ll get them thinking, and learning!