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If it's too rainy to drop the kids off at the pool, occupying those little rascals in eco-friendly fashion can be a trying task. But don't fret, if you're creative you can come up with some new green, low-impact games to keep the kids having fun all day long. There's no need to mope around the house when you've got so many fun activities to try out. Best part, none of these inexpensive games cost over $25.00.
Eco-Friendly Tie Dying
By substituting traditional dyes for the all natural variety you can make tie dying healthier for the kids and the environment at the same time. Pretreat t-shirts beforehand by soaking them in cold water to ensure that the dye holds in the fabric. Choose the colors that you want to make. Make pink with strawberries, red with beets, light yellow with onions, and purple with cabbage. Read Planet Green's guide to eco-friendly tie dying. If you use stuff that you have around the house this activity is near free.
A Green Scavenger Hunt
Put together a scavenger hunt around the house (it's raining) where every clue is a new green factoid. If your kids are little you can make it super easy with questions like: I’m blue, filled with paper and plastic, and Mother Nature loves me. The answer is obviously the recycling bin, but you get the idea. These facts are a great way to teach your kids about the planet while showing them a super fun time as well. At the end of the game the winner gets a bar of eco-friendly chocolate or a "coupon" for a free trip hiking, to the botanical gardens, or a visit to a local farm. Show your kids how rewarding these green activities can be. Again, this game is free depending on the prize.
Play Let's Save Our Earth
Let's Save Our Earth is an educational board game which has been created to teach children simple things each of us can do to make a difference in helping the earth. The game includes a cast of characters known as the Eco-Angels and Schmutzies. The object of the game is to move from start to finish, collecting trees along the way. Trees are awarded for answering environmental factoid questions. The game is $22.00 plus shipping and handling.
Do Yoga With the Kids
You know I had to choose something associated with yoga as it is so much a part of my life. Cara wrote that kid's yoga incorporates physical, social, and individual development, as well as a healthy dose of play for the younger kids. There's no competition, no winner or loser. It's all about having fun and growing healthfully. It's like hiding veggies in food your kids actually want to eat!
Tips for keeping kids' yoga green:
Use eco-friendly kids yoga mats or just do it on the rug.
Instead of taking a yoga class get a yoga video so you can do it over and over again at home. Videos are about $15.00.
More on Kids:
How to Go Green: Kids Toys
Send Your Kids Packing...to One of These East Coast Eco-Friendly Summer Camps
Teach Kids Green with Outdoor Muse
How to Protect Your Child From Ultraviolet (UV) Rays
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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