KT for Good: No child is too young to think, live green

The founder of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, once said: "Future generations will be living in a world that is very different from that to which we are accustomed. It is essential that we prepare ourselves and our children for that new world."
At the rate we are consuming plastic today, it's not hard to imagine that such "new world" could be one buried in trash - unless we, together with today's children, do something about it.
But at what age should a child start learning about the environment and the massive plastic problem the earth faces today?
Educators said it's best to start them young: Environmental education based on life experiences should begin during the earliest years of life.
Nazima Reyaz, manager at Learning Ladder Nursery, said: "We know that the
young minds of these children are very receptive and creative at the same time, this is why we hold regular recycle days where we teach them how to upcycle plastic waste.
"We show them how to make creative items out of used plastic containers. Like today, we showed them how to make flower pots, shakers and cookie stands out of single-use plastic bottles. The teachers, then, introduced the kids to the 3Rs - reduce, reuse, recycle. It opens their mind and they go home and tell their parents not to throw these plastic items as these can still be reused, upcycled or recycled."
The Westminster School, Dubai, on the other hand, dedicated a whole week to creating the best products out of waste for its foundation stage students, along with their parents and teachers. The little ones collected plastic waste from their homes or neighbourhood and upcycled them into 3D robots .
The projects, called Space X, saw children transform plastic bottles, disposable plastic containers, plastic bags and bottle caps into police robots, a Burj Khalifa model, a recycling robot, and more. The activities were based on the concept of Steam (science, technology, engineering, arts and math).
Dr Vandana Gandhi, CEO and founder of British Orchard Nursery, believes children absorb a lot from their environment, their experiences, and their role models.
"For young children to understand the impact of plastic pollution, we first need to introduce them to a plastic-free environment so that they can draw a comparison. This way, they will learn from the very beginning to keep their surroundings clean and plastic-free, and intelligently recycle plastic," Dr Gandhi said.
She added that the nursery is constantly trying to incorporate activities that would inculcate in young children the compassion and care for Mother Earth.
"One such successful venture is a play-based activity, Junk Modelling. Across all the pre-schools, we assign days and weeks where parents are invited to drop their household's plastic waste and other junk - such as plastic bottles and containers - in schools. Then, children recycle the material to model things that help build their creativity and, at the same time, teach them the concept of recycling.
"During the activity, we introduce discussions revolving around experiences, for example, a trip to beach. Gradually, we use the example to guide the children on how we can reuse plastic and eventually try to save oceans."
Another recent measure the nursery took was introducing the use of bottle-less water filter system at one of its branches, making it completely plastic-bottle-free.
"Our 'Go Green Curriculum' helps the children understand the benefits of being eco-friendly; valuing plant life and oceans; and proper waste disposal, as well as the importance of a plastic-free world. Children have also started talking to their parents about the importance of saving energy, switching off lights, saving water, and using cloth or jute bags for shopping," Dr Gandhi said.
"Our children deserve a cleaner world, and creating awareness against plastic waste through practical measures is one more step towards achieving that goal."
A mini lesson plan to keep kids involved
>Engage them in a fun, environmental activity with the whole family
>Create kid-friendly games, like asking them to look around for plastics and categorise the items according to their use
>Show them videos on what really happens to plastic after it is used and how it harms marine animals
>Motivate them that, to be a hero, they have to save Mother Earth from trash
>Teach them how to upcycle plastic and turn it into a useful product, like a bird feeder or a flower pot
>Take them to recycling centres and show them how the process is done
saman@khaleejtimes.com

• KT For Good