Global warming is one of the world’s most significant issues, and it will affect the next generation directly. As an educator, isn’t it great to start educating the young ones to protect our environment? It is important that we teach the next generation to live more sustainably and cultivate eco-friendly habits, such as reusing, recycling, and minimizing energy use.
But how can we inspire and motivate children to take action in their own lives? The classroom is one of the places where children spend most of their time. One of the best ways is to start from ourselves by creating an eco-friendly classroom.
Creating an eco-friendly classroom can educate children about sustainable living and build environmental awareness. But how exactly will you start and motivate the children to take leadership in sustainable practices? Here are some tips you can implement in your preschool to create an eco-friendly classroom.
Ways Children Can Support An Eco-Friendly Classroom
Preschoolers are at the age where they are curious about everything and learn fast if you accurately educate them. There are a few ways that children can support an eco-friendly classroom where they can enjoy it rather than feel forced to do it.
1. Reuse, reduce and recycle.
Recycling is a good place to start with. You can hold a recycling contest and challenge the children to see who can recycle the most in a week or a month. You can divide the class into a few teams depending on the number of children you have, or you can even have teachers versus students contest. But make sure that you have recycling bins ready and that it is clearly labeled for the children to identify.
You can even turn recycling into a game. If children can see the progress, they are more likely to continue doing it. It may even form into a habit and continue at home. To record their results, you can use a sticker chart or take photos. You can also acknowledge the children’s behavior and praise them when you see them recycling.
You can even challenge the children to upcycle plastic containers. Plastic containers can be found anywhere and are great organizers for all kinds of classroom items. You can use a yogurt container as a pen and pencil holder or transform a plastic bottle into a plant pot.
Another way is to repurpose objects for creative projects. Create an area where you can invite the children to use recycled objects for their art projects.
2. Minimize waste
One of the best ways to make your classroom more sustainable and eco-friendly is to reduce waste. In this era when computers are often used, it can be very easy to minimize waste. Many school works can be moved to computers that produce zero paper.
Another way you can do this is through paper management. If there is a need to print out info onto papers, such as handouts and tests, it can be printer on both sides with smaller margins. You can also find a container to recycle scrap paper. If the back of the paper has not been used, ask the children to put it into a container. The reverse side of the paper can be used for drawing and other creative project.
Now, after finishing with the ways children can support an eco-friendly classroom, we will discuss ideas to create an eco-friendly classroom.
Create An Eco-Friendly Classroom #1 – Pick The Right Furniture
Furniture is one of the most important aspects of a classroom. You will want to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for the children to enjoy their time. If you create an eco-friendly classroom, the furniture you use will need to be eco-friendly too.
There may be little furniture in the market that is sustainable due to the materials used, the unrecyclable nature of the product, or the unethical production processes. But there are environmentally responsible learning furniture companies, and you will need to research them.
Their products are designed to be durable, and they may use plant-based, non-toxic finishes. It can be flexible and long-lasting. Besides that, it can be recyclable and compostable.
Create An Eco-Friendly Classroom #2 – Growing Up Green
Gardening is a great way to go green and a truly hands-on educational activity for the children. It gives children an understanding of the environment around them. Some plants, such as cress, are suitable for the indoor environment where you can plant them in your classroom.
If you have some outdoor space to spare, you can create a vegetable or flower patch. By growing vegetables, children get to know the food they are eating. Besides that, let them grow the vegetables themselves, and they are equipped with the skill to live sustainably in the future. They will also have a greater understanding of nature.
Create An Eco-Friendly Classroom #3 – Energy Saving
Creating an eco-friendly classroom includes being conscious and cautious about the energy we use in the classroom. The energy-saving habit needs to start early, and creating an eco-friendly classroom is a great place to start. It can be easy to achieve.
You will want to remind your staff and children to turn off and unplug devices that are not in use. Besides that, instead of using traditional bulbs, consider replacing them with energy-efficient and durable LEDs. You can reduce the use of artificial lighting by letting in as much natural light as you can.
Be sure to make use of a pale color palette for your classroom. White color is better at keeping the space brighter, even when there isn’t much natural light from outside. You can also introduce living plants into your classroom.
Isn’t all these ideas sound great? Having an eco-friendly classroom doesn’t need to be expensive and complicated. With a few minor changes and investments, we can make a big difference and let the next generation understand about protecting our planet. It can be great to have a healthy and beautiful learning environment.
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