Being green and eco-friendly is more than an individual effort. It requires teamwork and a buy-in from other members of the family. If you didn’t make any green resolutions at the start of the year, don’t worry. It’s never too late to start.

Here are some earth-friendly initiatives that you can start as a family and enjoy being green together.

Grow a Garden

A garden is a great way to introduce your family to Nature, sustainability and eco-friendly living. Kids and adults, alike, can be involved in gardening easily. Discuss what plants or vegetables you’d like to grow in your family garden. Assign responsibilities to family members –weeding, watering, cleaning and so on. Toddlers and preschooolers, too, will enjoy digging in the dirt and creating their own garden patch. If you lack the time and the space for a garden patch, start a potted garden with herbs, veggies and some flowers. Check out kidsgardening.org, a resource website sponsored by the National Gardening Association, to find ideas on child-friendly gardening.

Take Up An Outdoor Physical Activity

Spending time outdoors, away from the television, is a fun-filled way to connect with the environment and be a green parent too.  Whether it is hiking, cycling or just a family walk will help family members to understand and appreciate the natural phenomena that surround them. Discuss what natural processes occur during different times of the year. You could even have themed Nature walks or hikes, such as, “Spot this Bird” or “Name that Flower” to boost interest and engagement.

Visit Famers’ Markets or a Farm

Farms and farmers’ markets are a simple way to boost awareness about sustainability and the environment. Make the trip the farmer’s market a weekly family activity and engage children in active discussion about the vegetables and fruits you see there. Take it further with reading and books on organic agriculture and the harmful effects of pesticides and chemicals.

Go Green at Home

Greening the house is easier than you think. Reduce energy consumption by using CFLs or Compact Fluorescent Lamps rather than the incandescent ones.  Give up eating meat for one week in the month or practice Meatless Mondays.  Using non-toxic cleaners, reducing fuel consumption, encouraging recycling and reusing are all simple, cost-effective ways for the whole family to go green.

Perform an Energy Audit

Have you ever considered how much energy your household is consuming? If not, start now. Make an energy audit an important part of family life. Go over your utility bills for the last 6 to 12 months and identify your energy and water consumption. Strive to reduce this by a certain percentage. Set goals as a family and encourage each other to take small but meaningful steps to cut down energy consumption. Simple ways to do this would be unplugging appliances when not in use, turning off lights and fans when not needed, opening windows and using natural light as much as possible, keeping appliances like the air conditioner clean to ensure maximum efficiency.

Simple initiatives like these will help the planet and also, keep the family involved in being green and eco-friendly. Most importantly, activities like these are great ways to bond with kids, reconnect with a spouse or just enjoy some quiet time on your own. So, what earth friendly family initiative will you be taking this year?

Photo Credit: Abigail Batchelder