I don’t want to go outside; I want to watch tv/play a video game/play on my tablet! Have you ever thought or said something like this? It’s no surprise really. In 2018 a study out of the United Kingdom showed that kids spend only about 4 hours outside each week. That’s half of what your parents/guardians used to spend outside as kids! Is this true of you and your family?
Many studies show that getting outdoors makes you smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious about things. Who doesn’t want all those benefits!? I know that when our family sits outside and reads, has a snack, or goes for a walk, we feel refreshed, calm, and less agitated. So, plan to get outside more. Plan a daily or weekly walk with your family or friends and take in the benefits of nature.
And make the most of your time outside by clean up the neighborhood. Simply by picking up some litter you can make a big impact for those in the area - including the wildlife! But make sure you’re prepared with the two things you’ll need to be successful.
Bag
We prefer to use reusable cloth bags. We fill it up as we walk, then sort out trash from recyclables when we get home. Because the bag is cloth it is easy to wash when it gets dirty and stinky. However, if you live in an area where there is a lot of trash, we recommend a large, durable trash bag. We still encourage you to bring home the items to recycle whatever you can.
Gloves
Again, we prefer to use reusable litter picker gloves. They are often coated in a substance that won’t let moisture seep through as you pick up potentially wet or moist items out of the grass. We like the 4Ocean gloves because they are durable and come in 3 sizes. However, you can also use worker or gardening gloves you already have around the house. The idea is that you keep your hands clean and safe from the trash. We do NOT recommend disposable gloves because they can add to the litter problem and they aren’t often thick enough to protect you from much.
That’s it. Yes, you could always bring litter tongs (we recommend the one from 4Ocean) but on a simple walk this is often not necessary. We bring our litter tongs when we are going to a heavily littered area and we know we’ll have a lot to pick up. If your walking area isn’t too littered you can often do without these.
DON’T FORGET! It’s easy to walk out the door and completely forget your bag and gloves. But we’ve found that leaving these items, or a simple note to yourself, near the door you usually leave from helps you remember. Tell us: What are some trash items you’ve found outside recently? Sources: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/ https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/youth-engagement/benefits-of-outdoors-for-kids/ #nature #mentalhealth #community #neighborhood #litterpicker #cleanup #familytime #family #kids #makeadifference #bethechange #volunteer #beautify #beauty #naturewalk #freshair #ourdoors