Going Green With Kids: Grades 1-3

If our children are going to have a decent world in which to live, we are going to have to get serious about living environmentally friendly. There are ways of teaching the kids how to do this while making it fun. Instill the values in them at a young age and chances are it will stick with them for a lifetime.

Kids in Grades 1 - 3

Water: Besides teaching your child dental hygiene, remind them to turn off the water while brushing their teeth.

Energy: Make it a rule to unplug the TV and turn off the computer at night.

Toxic Exposure: Harsh chemicals aren't the only way to rid your child's head of lice if they happen to catch the buggers. Greener solutions include smothering the pests with mayonnaise or Vaseline under a shower cap before bedtime and then washing hair thoroughly in the morning. Alternatively, you can brush through the hair with an all-natural conditioner and a fine-tooth comb. It may take a few applications.

Waste: Play a more advanced recycling game and have kids guess what can and cannot be recycled. Challenge them with the following stumpers:

Question: Pizza box with grease on it?
Answer: No, because the grease disrupts the recycling process. The clean top, however, can be torn off and recycled.

Question: Milk carton?
Answer: No because the wax coating keeps it from by recyclable.

Question: Coffee Cup?
Answer: No because the inside is coated in petroleum wax and the lid is not a type of plastic that can be recycled.

Question: Metal bottle caps?
Answer: Yes

Question: Pet food cans (aluminum or steel)?
Answer: Yes

Question: Detergent containers (HDPE #2)?
Answer: Yes

Question: Bubble wrap envelopes?
Answer: No

Question: Enveloples with labels?
Answer: Yes

Question: Post-It notes?
Answer: Yes

Food: Pack sandwiches, fruits, veggies and treats in reusable food containers.
Transportation:Have kids take the bus to school to cut down on carbon emissions.

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When my husband became ill and I had to become our household's bread winner I looked for new and exciting ways to earn an income. I became a Barefoot Books Ambassador in 2010. They are an environmentally friendly company - a children's book publisher - babies through teens.




Explore. Imagine. Create. Connect. Give Back. That’s what Barefoot Books is all about. It’s exploring other cultures, our planet, ourselves. It’s making time for make-believe and letting imaginations run wild and free. Most of all, it’s about using the power of stories to nourish the creative spark in everyone and strengthen connections with family, the global community, and the earth.

Barefoot Books began with two mothers who wanted their children to have books that would feed the imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love of the planet. Today, we are a world-wide community of writers, artists, storytellers, musicians, and others who are committed to providing timeless stories and captivating art that can help children become happy, engaged members of a global society.

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