Do It Together: 10 Tips for Going Green with Kids

Want to go green with your kids but don’t know how? Keep in mind that small changes make all the difference. Your family can adopt green habits easily by making them fun and routine. Consider placing friendly reminders around the house to help enforce the environmentally friendly changes or singing a “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” song when kids are helping out. Use these tips as a guide to teach your kids about being environmentally conscious – it’s better for the planet if they learn young! Ready to make some green changes? Do it together!

Turn Off the Water
Help your kids get into the habit of turning off the water while they brush their teeth. After wetting their toothbrush, tell them to play their favorite song while the water is off (which should be around two to three minutes, the perfect time to brush their teeth).

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Switch Off Lights and Appliances
Kids can help out by turning off lights and appliances when not in use. Put them on “light duty” and have them go around the house shutting off lights that are not needed and turning off unused appliances. 

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Make Your Home Green

Your children can go with you to a local nursery and pick out their favorite plants to have in the house. This equals more oxygen for your home! Take this opportunity to teach your children about plant care as well and have them help you water and care for the plants.

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E-Waste

No more disposing of e-waste in the trash! Teach kids that batteries from everyday objects like video game controllers or Wii remotes should be recycled, as well as any electronic equipment. Place an e-waste bin in your home and label the container with a bright color so kids won’t forget!

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Sorting Fun

Make sorting recyclables a fun activity for kids. With color-coded bins, kids can sort paper, glass, plastic, etc. while singing a recycling song!

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Learn Green

When kids need new school supplies, take them on a hunt for eco-friendly school supplies. Have them search for supplies that say “recycled” or “eco” or “green” on the packaging and celebrate their finds!

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Plant a Small Garden

Whether it’s a flower garden or vegetable garden, kids can learn about green living by helping plant a garden. From seed to bloom, kids can see how rewarding it is to have a garden of their own!

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Buy Reusable Water Bottles

Have your kids choose a favorite reusable water bottle and pack it in their lunch box instead of a juice box. This way, you reduce waste while they enjoy drinking out of their cool water bottle!

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Donate Old Clothing

Have kids go through their closets and make a “donate” and “keep” pile. Teach them that donating their clothes helps reduce waste in the environment while helping those in need.

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Meatless Monday
Have kids vote for their favorite vegetarian recipe for Meatless Monday. Cutting down on meat consumption can help cut greenhouse emissions.

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Double Take

For homework, help kids get in the habit of printing on both sides of paper.  Place a sign above your printer for a friendly reminder or have kids ask their teachers if they can email assignments – that way, no paper is used!

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Go Organic

Take your kids with you to the grocery store and have them help you search for products that are labled organic, like milk, fruits, and veggies. They’ll be excited to help out the family when they make their finds!

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Resource:  Homesessive

10 Easy Green Household Habits from Top Eco-friendly Bloggers

Environmentally friendly habits don't have to be expensive. In many cases, protecting your bank balance and protecting the planet go hand in hand! Here we've rounded up ten easy habits that save can save families money and help the environment at the same time, all suggested by Circle of Moms' Eco-friendly Mom Bloggers.


1. Buy Secondhand

"One second-hand big ticket purchase alone can save your household thousands of dollars and reduce environmental impact." Gretchen Covine, EdenFeed

2. Make Your Own Cleaning Products

"An easy, eco-friendly and FUN habit that helps save money is to make your own household cleaning products. With pantry items like baking soda and white vinegar, Castile soap, and essential oils you can make inexpensive cleaners that are safe for you, your family, and the planet." –Mindy McLaren, Sweet & Woodsy Blog

3. Reduce Food Waste

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 30 cents of every dollar we spend on food we end up throwing away because what we've bought spoils, or expires, or because we've just bought too much. The solution? Put leftovers in the front of the fridge, not the back where you might forget about them. Try to plan menus in advance, then grocery shop with an ingredients list so you buy what you really will use. Go to the grocery store just once a week - after 'leftovers' night, if possible, and when the fridge is almost empty." Diane MacEachern, Big Green Purse

4. Save Water and Energy on Laundry

“Avoid using the permanent press cycle, which uses an added 20 liters (5 gallons) for the extra rinse. New Energy Star-rated washers use 35-50% less water and 50% less energy per load. Wash your laundry in cold water — 80-90 percent of the washing machine's energy is used to heat the water. Your clothes will be just as clean — honest!" -Lori Popkewitz Alper, Groovy Green Livin'

5. Drive Less

"Drive less and walk/ride/roll more…Adopting a more active-lifestyle approach to transportation saves money on gas and car repairs, provides an "excuse" for families to exercise together, and reduces natural resource depletion." -Kimberly Danek Pinkson, ecomom blog

6. Reuse Containers

"One of the best ways to save money AND be eco-friendly is to reuse/recycle what you already have! Save tons of money on storage containers by reusing glass and plastic food containers when they are empty." Jennifer Nitzky, Sprout's Green Family

7. Start a Garden

"The taste of homegrown produce is AMAZING, and it's a great family project. When local produce is in season, you can also preserve the bounty for pennies on the dollar compared to store products. We can, dry, freeze, lacto-ferment, root cellar, and use cold frames and a greenhouse for season extension. The kids are so proud of themselves when they share ‘their’ fruits and vegetables with family and friends.” -Laurie Neverman, Common Sense Homesteading

8. DIY Gift Wrap

“Wrapping paper, tissue and gift bags are insanely expensive for something that ends up in the trash before the party is even over. Instead, use what you have to wrap gifts — a basket or a beach bucket can be two gifts in one. Or use your child's artwork to make an extra special presentation. -Amity Hook-Sopko, Green Gifts Guide

9. Cloth Diapers

"You can significantly reduce the cost of diapering by using cloth. After the initial start up cost to purchase the materials you need (in our case, it was around $150), you can save several hundred dollars each year by committing to cloth. If you plan to have more children and reuse your cloth diapers, you will have saved a serious amount of money!" -Charise Rohm Nulsen, I Thought I Knew Mama

10. Turn Off Lights & Unplug Electronics

"I know this sounds incredibly easy and almost silly, but turning off the lights when you are not using them, as well as putting your computers, TV's, etc. on a power strip and turning them off nightly [saves money]. ... Computers, TV's, DVD players, and other electronics that are plugged in 24/7 are considered 'energy vampires.' They use energy even when we are not using them." Amy Todisco, Green Living Now


Resource: The Circle of Moms Editors

Tips for a Waste-Less School Year

Here are some great tips that you can incorporate as the kids head back to school this year.

Choose and use a wide assortment of products made from recycled products, such as pencils made from old blue jeans; binders made from old shipping boxes; and many types of recycled paper products. You can also reuse items like refillable pens, rechargeable batteries, and scrap paper for notes. Using recycled-content and reusing supplies prevents waste and saves you money.

Before starting a new school year, sort through your materials. Many supplies can be reused or recycled. Notebooks, folders, and binders can be reused. Recycle unwanted papers and reuse your old folders and binders. Share your used books with friends, relatives, or younger schoolchildren.

Waste from packaging accounts for more than 30 percent of all the waste generated each year. Use school supplies wrapped with minimal packaging; use compact or concentrated products; or buy products that come in bulk sizes. Save packaging, colored paper, egg cartons and other items for arts and crafts projects. Look for other ways you can reduce the amount of packaging you throw away!

Many schools reuse text books to save money and reduce waste. Covering your textbooks with cut-up grocery or shopping bags helps reduce waste and keeps your books in good condition. Be creative—use markers or colored pencils to give your covers unique and fun designs. Paper grocery bags are also great for wrapping packages.

Use nontoxic products, inks and art supplies, such as batteries with less mercury, vegetable-based inks, and water-based paints.

Use and maintain durable products. Sturdy backpacks and notebooks can be reused for many years, which helps reduce the amount of broken items tossed away each year. Put long-lasting, high-quality tires on your car and bicycle. Be sure to keep your tires properly inflated.

If you bring your lunch to school, package it in reusable containers instead of disposable ones, and carry them in a reusable plastic or cloth bag, or lunch box. Bring drinks in a thermos instead of disposable bottles or cartons.

If you buy lunch, take and use only what you need: One napkin, one ketchup packet, one salt packet, one pepper packet, one set of flatware. And, remember to recycle your cans and bottles. 

If you drive to school, try carpooling or take public transportation. Get your parents' permission to try walking, biking, or skating. You can prevent wasted fuel, reduce air pollution, and decrease traffic in your community.

Borrow or rent your decorations and supplies for parties, dances, and proms. If you buy these supplies, try adopting a theme that can be used from year-to-year, so that you can reuse your decorations and supplies.

Pass it on. Share the message with your friends and schoolmates. Waste less by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Volunteer for, or start , an environmental club or recycling project in your school.

Work with your teachers and friends to find ways to encourage everyone in your community to make waste reduction a part of their everyday lives. You can also look for unique ways to make your school more waste-free, such as starting a school composting project.

Resource:  EPA.gov

Tips for February Fun without Waste

Living "Green" with Tomboy Tools:  There are many ways all of us can contribute to a "greener" planet if we do our part.  Here are some tips this month that you can incorporate into your green footprint:

To Help You Get Started:

• Reduce Your Packaging: Buy bulk or concentrated products when you can.
• Reduce Toxicity or Learn How: Recycle your batteries and use batteries with reduced mercury.
• Select Reusable Products: Sturdy, washable utensils, tableware, cloth napkins, and dishcloths can be used many times.
• Use Durable Products: Choose furniture, sports equipment, toys, and tools that will stand the test of time.
• Reuse Products: Reuse newspaper, boxes, shipping "peanuts," and "bubble wrap" to ship packages.
• Recycle Automotive Products: Take car batteries, antifreeze, and motor oil to participating recycling centers.
• Buy Products Made From Recycled Material: Many bottles, cans, cereal boxes, containers, and cartons are made from recycled material.
• Compost or Learn How: Food scraps and yard waste can become natural soil conditioners.

1. Think "green" while shopping the President's Day sales. Bring your own reusable cloth bag for carrying your purchases, and try to buy items with minimal packaging and/or made with recycled content. For example, buy fleece jackets made from recycled soda bottles, sneakers made with recycled rubber soles, or clothes made from recycled cotton scraps.
2. Don't become dehydrated playing winter sports. Prevent waste by using a reusable sports bottle instead of disposable plastic bottles. If you are providing drinks for your team, supply them in reusable containers such as thermoses or hard plastic cups.
3. Before storing your used sports equipment for the winter, consider donating or selling any equipment you no longer want to a charity or used sporting goods store. Also consider donating old soccer balls, footballs, or tennis balls to your local animal shelter to use as chew toys.
4. If you are participating in a winter sport, purchase used sports equipment whenever possible, and look for sporting goods that are made from recycled material. Examples include hiking shoes with recycled rubber soles, basketballs made with recycled rubber, and ski jackets and sleeping bags made from recycled soda bottles.
5. For sports you don't regularly participate in, try renting or borrowing equipment rather than buying it. This will save you money and prevent waste!
6. For cold weather sporting events, wear multiple layers of clothing or thermal underwear instead of relying on battery-operated or kerosene heaters.
7. When possible, use skis, snow shoes, or sleds to go through snow instead of gas-powered snowmobiles.
8. If you are hosting a basketball party, buy drinks and snacks in bulk to prevent packaging waste, and encourage guests to recycle their empty aluminum cans and glass or plastic bottles. Also reuse decorations, or rent some from a party store.

Resource:  EPA.org