Five eco-friendly family Christmas activities
Christmas is a time of joy and togetherness, not maxing out your credit card and giving yourself a financial headache that will last well into spring.
There are lots of ways to enjoy time with your family without breaking the bank – or causing unnecessary harm to the environment.
Here are five ideas ...
Winter walks
Bundle up and spend some time together in nature.
It’s scientifically proven to boost your wellbeing.
Visit your local park, nature reserve or National Park.
See if you can spot any Robins! If you’re near the coast, there’s nothing more invigorating than a brisk walk along the seafront on a winter’s day.
A hearty soup or warm drink will taste ten times better afterwards.
Make cards
You can have a crafty afternoon together making Christmas cards by cutting up last year’s cards and wrapping paper and creating mini collages.
Pinterest is packed full of other creative ideas. Using biodegradable materials is key, otherwise you’ll contribute to landfill waste.
Avoid glitter as it’s made from plastic and can’t be recycled. And try to find non-toxic, naturally-based glue.
Volunteer
Christmas is meant to be about giving, so why not give your most precious commodity of all, your time?
You and your loved ones could volunteer together to do some conservation work at your local nature reserve or Wildlife Trust.
Or you could help look after the animals at a sanctuary.
If the timing doesn’t work for you to link up with a charity, you could look on the Random Acts of Kindness website for some ideas of things you can do to brighten other people’s days – and give yourselves a warm glow at the same time.
Bake
Baking together can be all kinds of fun.
Make gingerbread, spiced biscuits or mince pies.
To be as eco-friendly as possible, see if you can swap the meat-based suet in your mincemeat recipe for the vegetable variety.
It’s also a good idea to replace any dairy in your recipes with plant-based alternatives, which have a lower carbon footprint.
Puzzle it out
Who doesn’t love a jigsaw? Drag your kids away from their screens and while away the hours around the dining table with a good old-fashioned puzzle or board game.
A great multi-generational get-together, such pastimes can be accompanied by plenty of festive snacks and family chitchat.