Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Green Parenting in Edinburgh
Schools across Edinburgh and The Lothians are busy nurturing an ethos of sustainability. These may be shaping up at your school in the form of Outdoor Learning with Forest School sessions, developing Community Gardening Partnerships, eco-committees looking to attain their Green Flag status or, creating Global Food Citizens of their pupils.
All in all, changing habits for good learning and teaching for a better world is what it’s all about!
Back at home, it can be hard as a parent knowing what green lifestyle choices will be the most beneficial for the family and the environment – A lot of things can fall into the category of Green Parenting and, it certainly isn’t about appearing to be holier-than-thou!
Eco-parenting encompasses a lifestyle of making healthy choices that are often organic, natural, and low in environmental toxins. Equally, we could be talking about sustainable toys and play activities, staying local to home with family green days out, or embracing greener travel with the children, to even seeking out greener birthday party ideas!
Look after your Water Supply
Many drinks are loaded with sugar so by making water the drink of choice at the family meal table, not only does this cut down on food packaging, costs and food transport miles, it is healthier for you and all the teeth too!
Scottish Water spends millions each year ensuring a squeaky clean water supply straight from the tap. Help look after your water supply by reading Scottish Water’s leaflet on the “non flush” waste that can block treatment works such as wet wipes and cotton buds – Bag and Bin those…..Don’t make our city EdinbURGH!
The Three Rs
Help reinforce the school eco-committees and winning those house points by practising your own set of Three Rs at home – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Get the kids involved on bin collection days and add recycling to the reward charts. The Scottish government wants households to recycle 70% of our waste by 2025!
Changeworks Edinburgh, a waste and resource management company also works with schools and community groups. They can deliver curriculum-linked fun workshops, assemblies and story-telling sessions from Early Years right the way through to High School.
For a visit to a community recycling centre in Edinburgh, book one of their FREE waste education cabin visits at www.changeworks.org.uk/projects/waste-education-cabin
War on Waste
A lot of parenting starts out with nappy-centric chat and what goes into our baby’s mouth from an early stage. As the family grows up, encourage the children to eat up their meals to minimise food waste and eat as little processed food as possible.
While we have all sniffed food to check whether it has gone off, it's sometimes difficult to know which produce can be safely consumed after its use-by date. For more information on food safety and labelling guidelines consider visiting www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/food-labelling-terms.aspx
If certain foods regularly go on the turn in your household, seek out some recipes such as these “oaty banana drop scones” - a clever way of using up bananas that are going brown in the bowl at www.rivercottage.net/recipes/oaty-banana-drop-scones. Apparently, brown bananas also freeze well!
On Your Bike!
Cycling is a cheap, healthy, efficient, environmentally-friendly and fun mode of transport so encourage the family to get on their bikes. Scotland boasts a great number of cycle networks that are continuously being added to and improved upon.
Sustrans Scotland, a charity that champions sustainable transport works closely with government partners to ensure the people of Scotland have access to an ever increasing network of safe walking and cycling routes. For more information visit www.sustrans.org.uk
Edinburgh Council’s “On Foot, By Bike” campaign is also actively encouraging families to use sustainable transport. To plan your route around Edinburgh, check network expansion plans and funding boosts, or find organised events visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20087/cycling_and_walking
Reconnect with Urban Green spaces
Get the family’s hands dirty with Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT). They lead a network of inspiring community gardens. Click on the carrots on the online map to see which one is on your doorstep as many actively encourage participation from families.
Grove community garden is just one of the wonderful pocket-sized urban Edens catering for the surge in community gardening. There are tools for everyone and aside from the plots there’s even a children’s garden area which features a mud kitchen and a canoe as a special attraction. Get stuck in with more information at www.elgt.org.uk/projects/community-gardening
Community Learning and Development (CLD) are also leading family Forest School sessions. If you are interested in finding out about some springtime dates then contact Katy Pudney on 0131 339 5351.
Birthdays on the Greener Side!
How about turning heads along the Union Canal by taking to the water with an Akwakating party? Floating bikes known as Akwakats are powered along the canal by paddle power to operate a propeller instead of turning wheels - An adventure, workout and great fun too! To enquire visit www.Bridge8hub.co.uk
Importantly, when buying the latest playground craze as a birthday present, give some thought as to what will happen to that toy once the birthday child is bored with their gift.
Some crazes like loom bands are an eco-ticking time-bomb until they can be produced in a sustainable way and recycled!
Whatever choices you make as a parent, they should be fun, easy to integrate daily into family life, open to everyone and just good parenting!