My First Skool Resources

Eat a more plant-based diet

#DidYouKnow that the food you consume has its own carbon footprint? Rearing livestock for meat uses significantly more resources such as land, water and feed. For instance, it takes 660 gallons of water to produce enough meat for a hamburger. One hamburger generates 8.8kg in carbon dioxide emissions. 

In contrast, opting for a meat substitute, plant-based burger uses 20.5-23.5 gallons of water, between 83-251 square feet of land for growing and raising the crop. It emits 2.3 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.

Try out some kid-friendly plant-based recipes with your children and have fun cooking in the kitchen together.

Read Together

Here are some book recommendations about sustainability that you can borrow from the National Library Board and read together with your preschooler.

• “Michael Recycle Meets Litterbug Doug” by Ellie Bethel
• “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss
• “What a Waste” by Jess French
• Charlie and Lola “We are Extremely Very Good Recyclers” by Lauren Child
• “The Curious Garden” by Peter Brown (Suitable for ages 4-6 yrs)
• “We Need Water” by Charles Ghigna
• “Recycling is Fun” by Charles Ghigna
• “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle (Suitable for ages 3-5 yrs)
• “Don’t Throw that Away” by Lara Bergen (Flip and Flap book)

You can find more children book titles on sustainability at Children Books Daily “100 of the Best Books for Children on Sustainability”

Grow your own!

Helping children to bridge the connection between farm to table allows them to learn much more about the world. Through simple gardening activities, we can all discover a longlasting affinity with the environment.

You don’t need lots of space to cultivate your green thumb. It can be done in an urban environment working with the space you have. Find out how to make your own compost bottle to start your own mini greenhouse at home with your children.

A World in a Bottle

It’s easier than you think to start a terrarium project with your children.

By choosing different elements to go into your own ecosystem, you exemplify the values of mutual interdependence and caring for our own planet’s ecosystem.

Learn through Play

Learning doesn’t have to be a chore, make sustainability fun for the entire family by learning through play. Studies on play and learning show that play promotes greater cognitive engagement, concept retention and operationalisation.

Here’s some websites for games to have fun while learning about sustainability

• Mom Junction
• National Geographic Kids – Recycle Roundup (online game)
• British Council – Clean and Green (online recycling game)