Each year, Christmas leaves us with great memories and gifts, but also a great deal of waste from wrapping paper, unwanted gifts and other packaging materials. Spread your goodwill this festive season by getting children involved in sustainable ways to decorate for Christmas.

There are lots of ways to get the whole family to have fun while being eco-conscious. It’s all about getting children excited and eager to learn about the importance of sustainability. From one-of-a-kind Christmas trees to gift-worthy artwork and beyond, let’s see out what our children at Camp Australia created for the holiday season.

Reuse and recycle

Who said a Christmas tree had to be an actual tree? Why not get creative and make it something that’s unique and kinder to the planet? Here, we have a clever “Under the Sea” themed tree with handmade recycled ornaments to create not only an awesome tree, but also one with a powerful message from the children, expressing how plastics and other harmful waste can end up in the ocean and affect the sea environment and its creatures.

Source from nature

Instead of buying Christmas cards and getting children to simply ‘sign them’, you can get creative and go 'green’ by simply heading out to your backyard. From foliage to flowers, mother nature offers beautiful resources for us to make wonderful Christmas cards, gifts and even artwork with no hard waste. There are many ways to decorate and make one-of-a-kind pieces that will leave a lasting impression than any other pre-made cards!

Hang it up! (again)

Sure, we can reuse baubles for the Christmas tree, but let’s add fun and flair by getting children to add their own special touch to it! Whether it’s a handmade ornament or using recyclable materials to create their own bauble, their special piece will leave a lasting imprint for many more Christmases to come. Maybe you can make it a tradition to add a new piece to the tree each year!

Sprinkle some magic

There’s nothing more exciting for the little ones than waiting for Santa and his reindeer to make an appearance on Christmas. Leaving carrots out for the reindeer is great, but ever wondered what they really eat? (a good discussion to have in preparation for this next activity)

Here’s a fun (and eco-friendly) way to get children involved by making their own reindeer food - it’s simply magic!

What you'll need:

• Bag of oats
• Sultanas
• Sprinkles (Christmas themed or any kind)
• Eco-friendly glitter

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into a large bowl and mix it all up until you’re happy with how it looks
2. Place the mix into small paper sachets or pouches
3. Place the tags with the instructions (below)
4. Sprinkle on your lawn at night

Camp Australia offers out-of-school-hours care programs that are designed to suit the individual needs of the children that attend. Our educators are able to adapt activities for different skill levels and encourage children to enjoy creative play and connect with their peers in a safe environment.

Register your child FREE for 2023 and book a session at Your OSHC today!