Sustain Your Children’s Interest Over Half Term with These Green Games And Eco-Fun

As the weather cools down and everyone is rushing to get outside, the time has come to start thinking about outdoor activities. At Swiss International School Dubai, sustainability is part of their curriculum, and here are suggestions from the school for activities for you and your children, based on the concept of sustainability.

Plant a garden – whether you have a garden, a raised bed on your balcony, or a couple of plant pots in your kitchen, this is a great way to teach children about gardening. Make it exciting for them by getting them to plant their favorite fruit and vegetable seeds.

Grow an avocado seed – balance the seed in water with toothpicks and watch as it sprouts and grows over time. You won’t get avocadoes, but you’ll have a lovely homegrown plant.

Make your own paper – using scrap paper, water, and a screen, encourage your children to make their own paper. Why not take it up a notch and create ‘plantable paper’ by stirring plant seeds into the mixture?

Make it a game to shop local – head to your nearest supermarket (on foot or by bike) and challenge your children to only pick items produced or grown in the UAE. Look for those items that aren’t wrapped in plastic, too.

Try recyclable art – get the children to pick through the recycling or find items around the house that they can turn into artwork! Tips – washing up bottles make excellent rockets. A kitchen roll tube makes a good telescope.

Learn about local flora and fauna – take a walk around your neighborhood or a local park and encourage the children to point out the different plants, trees, and wildlife they can see. You might like to pick out fallen leaves to either research as you go along or read into when you get home.

Have a beach clean-up – teach your child(ren) about the importance of reducing waste and recycling by taking them to a beach and helping them return it to its natural state. See how much rubbish you can gather in one or two minutes – making it a fun competition.

Visit Terra, The Sustainability pavilion at EXPO 2020. The whole family can learn about plastic waste and discover how to make a difference in preserving our planet.

Bike rides – if you live somewhere where cycling is safe, organise a bike ride and teach your child(ren) how to safely use this eco-friendly mode of transportation. No bikes? Take a hike, with a picnic.

Decorate their reusable water bottle – help your children personalise their water bottles to encourage them to choose a reusable one over a single-use plastic bottle.

Take them to Al Qudra Lake – just a short drive outside the city, this is a great way to learn about wildlife, particularly birds. It is also a great place to have a picnic/barbeque and enjoy the sunset. Bonus points if you don’t bring any single-use plastic!

Pledge to do more – Ask your children to sign a sustainability pledge, with a number of achievable tasks listed. Pin it in a prominent spot. Tasks might include recycling, using less water, avoiding plastic, watching a sustainability documentary, and turning old clothes into new outfits, or donating them to a green charity.

Don’t forget to use social media to share all the wonderful sustainable activities you’re doing – and encourage others to join in.