Things To Do for Kids and Family

Ami Voeltz

Do It Green! Minnesota

Here are some family and kid’s activities that you may not know about. It is a random list of organizations, groups and clubs that have a focus on the environment, community and the arts. There’s a whole lot more out there, so get out and explore this beautiful world with your children.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES:

Anne Sullivan Communications Center Family Life Seminars (612-729-7397)
Minnesota Children’s Museum – Free events: stories, workshops (651-225-6000)
Walker Art Center – Free First Saturday: art-making, films (612-375-7622)

Also check public libraries, community centers, public schools and parks and recreation for fun family activities. See: RECREATION: Forests & Parks

KID’S ACTIVITES:

Bluer: The Vineyard Church (612.423.1476), www.bluer.org
Common Ground – At-risk youth gardening (612-525-1983)
Express Bike Shop – Bike repair training program for youth (651-644-9660)
Lake Country Land School – farming with kids (715-265-4608 or farmcrew@win.bright.net)
MCBA (Minnesota Center for Book Arts) – field trips, workshops, camp (612-215-2533)
New Moon Magazine – For girls (www.newmoon.org or 800-381-4743)
Old Arizona – For girls: workshops, dance, magazine ‘Chicas In the Mix’ (612-871-9099 or info@oldarizona.com)
Read Team – Mpls Public Library, read to younger children, puppet shows (612-630-6491)
Roots & Shoots – Jane Goodall Institute: youth summits, discussions, community service (800-592-5263 or (lardie@janegoodall.org)
Streetworks – assist young homeless people (612-252-2735)
The Workshop – mixing art, science and technology (612-824-4394)
Teen Activist Network (612-871-7110)
Teen Zine – Mpls Public Library, edit, write, draw (612-630-6491)
Young Artists’ Cabaret – Intermedia Arts: Breakers, DJ’s, spoken word, dance (612-871-4444 ext.305)
Young Audiences of Minnesota – workshops, exhibitions, performances (651-292-3399)
Youth Farm & Market Project – At-risk youth gardening, selling, cooking (612-872-4226)

Saving Money & Reducing Trash at School

From www.reduce.org

There are lots of ways to reduce waste at school. By thinking ahead and being creative, you can reduce your impact on the environment.

* Pack a no-waste lunch: buy foods that can be put in reusable containers to carry to school.

* Ask your school cafeteria to use items such as reusable trays, napkins and silverware.

* Take small portions of food in the lunch line, you can always go back for more.

* When buying school supplies look for durable, long-lasting supplies and reuse them.

* Use less paper. Even though paper is recyclable, it is still a significant part of what we throw in the trash. Create a bin at home and in your classroom for paper that is only used on one side, to reuse.

* Buy notebooks and paper that contain recycled paper.

* Conduct a junk mail campaign. Help your school office collect unsolicited mail and contact the companies to get off their lists.

* Organize a school-wide rummage sale. This is a great way to pass along items you no longer need and maybe even trade clothes or toys with your friends.

* Get informed and become more aware. Join an environmental group or talk to your teacher about starting one up.

Nobody Particular: One Woman’s Fight to Save the Bays, Molly Bang, 2000 (Children’s picture book ages 8-adult)

United Way First Call For Help – Kidstuff Publication
651-291-0211
Website

Mighty Mississippi Passport book – Outdoor activities for the family
612-676-9444
Website

Kids and Family

Green Tips

Green Your Child’s Lunch

Home-packed lunches can be fun, healthy, and green, with very little time or money required. A child’s lunch, including organic fruit, requires less than five minutes on average to prepare and could cost as little as $1.00 per day-compared to over $2.25 for school lunch.

Try these suggestions to green your packed lunches, whether for children, adults, or picnics!

Use Reusable Gift Bags

Americans produce 25% more trash during the holiday season, including about 2 million tons of wrapping paper that use an estimated 30 million trees per year! Eliminate your gift waste with creative packaging ideas like making your own from reclaimed fabric!

See our full list of ideas for a No Waste Holiday!

Take the Energy Challenge

The fastest, cheapest, easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is through energy efficiency and conservation. Plus, you’ll save yourself money in the process! Need a little boost to get started? Join the Minnesota Energy Challenge and learn from thousands of Minnesotans who have pledged to reduce their energy use—and are finding fun, creative ways to do it. Read more about the Challenge here.

Reduce Paper Waste at the Office

Office paper is highly recyclable, but reducing or preventing paper waste is even more cost effective than recycling. Some ideas for reducing office paper waste:

Double-sided copying and printing.
Reusing paper. Keep a collection box by the copy machine for bad copies so the second side can be reused.
Make use of electronic communication.
Use smaller cover sheets or eliminate the cover sheet all together.
Reuse items from old packaging.
Reuse materials in-house, through clients, customers and consumers.
Consider buying the most environmentally-friendly paper (100% post-consumer recycled) to stock in your printers, copiers and fax machines.

Check out our full article Green Your Office for more great ideas.

Plant a Rain Garden

Many people do not realize that rain carries pollutants from our houses, yards, streets, sidewalks and parking lots to the nearest storm drain, leading directly to local lakes, streams and rivers. Rain gardens are designed to have a center depression to help rainwater seep into the soil. This infiltration helps recharge groundwater and reduces polluted runoff.

Check out our article on rain gardens to learn more.

Take Easy Steps to Save Energy at Home

The average Minnesota family spends over $4,000 on energy (includes natural gas, electricity and gasoline) and produces over 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Here are some easy ways to save energy:

Turn off lights and electronics (TVs, radios, computers) when leaving a room. This can help your family avoid producing 298 pounds of carbon dioxide over the course of the year.
Be mindful of your heat and central air. Turning your furnace thermostat down just two degrees in the winter saves $53/year and prevents 569 pounds of CO₂, and you won’t even notice the change.
Unplug electronics and appliances while not in use, like cell phone chargers, video game consoles, and microwaves. Anything with a clock, remote or LED light is using energy all the time, even if it’s turned off. Power strips are a quick fix—and you can save $14/year.

Check out our Personal Energy Checklist for more great ideas!

Make an Action Plan

Wait. Scratch that. Don’t make your own list of simple things you can do today to make a positive difference for the climate—use ours! This list offers 20 easy things you can do that will help you and your family lighten your load on the environment, keep more money in your pocket, and inspire you to find even more ways to tread lightly on this earth.

Pack a No Waste Lunch

A ‘no-waste lunch’ is a meal that does not end up in the trash. Buy food in bulk and put it in reusable containers to carry to school or work. Packing your food in reusables is typically less expensive and creates less waste than buying food that comes in disposable containers.

Check out our No Waste Lunch tips!

Purchase Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Your family can save 13,000 gallons of water per year with a low flush toilet, 2,900 gallons with a low flow shower head and 700 gallons with faucet aerators. Reducing temperature and usage of hot water will also save money and energy.

Find more great water saving tips with our Home Water Audit Checklist!

Support a Local Business

Did you know that roughly 73 cents of every dollar spent at a local business stays within the community, compared to 43 cents for non-local chain stores? When you buy from local businesses, you help that business employ community workers, support other local businesses, and contribute to the community’s overall health. Read more here about the benefits of buying locally.

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