Going green and living and eco-friendly life has not always been the big a movement it is now, This may be because our grandparents’ generation naturally did a lot of things that are now considered green and planet-friendly.

As a result, grandparents can be great teachers and help to encourage their grandkids to be more responsible and eco-friendly.

Here are some must-know ways about going green that can kids can learn from grandparents:

Grow an Organic Garden

Some grandparents are great gardeners and can recall growing their own produce and perhaps even grains. Kids can learn how to set up their own kitchen garden, choose the right plants, tend to them and grow organic produce from their grandparents.

Not only is gardening a fun bonding activity, it is a great way to spend time outdoors and go green as well.

Cooking from Scratch

Some grandmothers would not recall opening a tin to make soup or buying cake from the store. If your own culinary skills aren’t all that great, drop the kids off  at Grandma’s and let them learn how to make cupcakes from scratch and not from a box.

Older kids can also learn chopping fresh fruits and vegetables or bread-making from grandparents and understand the importance of using fresh over canned or preserved foods.

Line Drying Clothes

Many of our grandparents or great-grandparents didn’t have dryers and yet managed to dry their laundry just fine. Let the kids learn about line drying from grandma and adopt the practice in your own family as well and see the amount of energy and money that you end up saving while drying clothes naturally.

More Basic Green Living Skills to Learn from Grandparents

Living green is great for your family. Not only do you reduce your carbon footprint, you also save money.

Here are some more basic but essential green living tips that kids can learn from grandparents:

• Grandma can easily teach basic sewing skills to the kids to help them learn how to stitch on a button or mend a tear.
• Rainwater harvesting is something some grandparents would recall doing as kids themselves. Collecting rainwater is a great way to slash the water bill and preserve water too.
• Curbing food wastage by brown bagging it or eating at home more often.
• Walking instead of driving, running instead of sitting. Grandparents can share fun, interesting stories about how they did without a car or much public transport and also, how they spent time playing outdoors instead of watching television inside.

So, this Grandparents’ Day, let the kids make their gifts and not buy them from a store. And spend time with Grandpa and Grandma learning simple ways to be green and eco-friendly. Maybe plant a tree and see it grow through the year. Or just bake some bread and have it with homemade soup.

Photo Credit: Ben Hoyt