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This is a collaborative post.
It seems that too many activities with kids these days create mess and clutter in your home. You head to a local school fete and somehow manage to come back with more little plastic toys from the tombola, which your kids immediately forget about. For people trying to be more eco-conscious, this can be quite difficult. Kids’ rooms should be messy and filled with happy memories, but surely that can happen without feeling like you’re killing the planet? Cheer up. There are lots of fantastic things to do with kids, which won’t add to the plastic toy mountain; here’s Kids Activities That Won’t Bring Plastic into Your Home.
Paper Crafting
Why not spend a wet afternoon making something? You could get ahead for the year and make some cards or wrapping paper. If your kids are quite young, go with wrapping paper – stretch out brown paper on the floor or table and let them scribble away. You could even make themed stamps from potatoes if you wanted cakes or snowflakes on it! If they’re older, why not try making cards? You don’t even have to draw; just find a load of magazines or scrap colored paper and use that.
Another option is to make decorations so their room is even more special. Paper chains are a standard option, but why not try paper maché vases (and make some paper flowers to go in them) or a bowl for their rock collection?
Make Up Stories
Creating stories is a great way to pass the time. Look online for story prompts if you’re unsure how to start, but a quick way is to pull together some and see how you can link them together. Another way to start is to use books you have around the house as starting points and wonder what happens when the book ends. If you’re on a busy street, try people watching out of your window and come up with ideas of where they’re going and what might happen when they get there.
Experiences
Don’t avoid leaving the house because you are trying to prevent the plastic mountain. Why not head out for a walk and a picnic in some woods nearby or look out for a petting farm where you might be able to feed the animals? Museums, particularly science museums, can be excellent places for kids; just try to avoid the gift shop. Swimming is also a great activity for kids, whether it’s a day at a beach or looking out for Houston public pools or any close to you. Libraries, too, set up many activities for kids to enjoy, and quite often, these days, local cafes set up painting or pottery classes for kids’ groups throughout the week.
Cooking
It is a go-to activity for kids, but one that often gets relegated to last resort on a rainy day. Don’t forget; you don’t just have to make endless quantities of biscuits (although they’re fantastic for decorating and yummy); why not expand to cakes, pizza, and bread? Bread, in particular, is fun to shape into plaits, circles, and animals. You could even expand to fudge, toffee, pasta bakes, jams, pies, and more as they get a bit older.
There are many options for having fun with your kids that don’t also make you despair for the planet. Find out what’s around in your area and make a list somewhere (perhaps put it on the fridge) so that you don’t forget your options during your hectic life as a parent.