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FEATURE

PURPOSEFUL PLAY

TEACHES SUSTAINABILITY

Climate change and extreme weather
events are dominating headlines, and
with pollution and waste described as

leading causes of these issues, it is clear
that everyone needs to contribute to
sustainability.

amilies of today are taking this issue seriously: according to the
LEGO Play Well Study 2022, the majority of parents (92%) say
Fthat they care about environmental issues, and most feel that it
is important to discuss sustainability with their children.
Approximately 86% of parents believe that the next generation
will do more than they did to protect the environment, although
the children themselves believe it should be everyone’s
responsibility. They are more clued up than they are given credit
for, with six in ten parents responding to the study saying that
their children know more about environmental issues than they
do. In South Africa, 76% of children encourage their parents to
make environmentally friendly changes in the home.
Parents are therefore making the necessary shift, with 97% of
them expecting toys to be friendly to the environment and 70%
saying that it is important for the toys they buy to be made from Toys that last and can be played with in different ways over time can teach
sustainably sourced materials. children about sustainability
Introducing discussions about sustainability and teaching its
principles to children can be done by:
*choosing toys that last and that can be played with in different
ways, for example a LEGO set can be built using the instructions
supplied, but can then be broken down and rebuilt into any other
structure;
*younger children enjoy sorting things and doing so can help
lay the foundations for reading. They can also sort rubbish into
different colour bins for the various types of recycling;
*re-using and re-purposing also teaches children about
sustainability. Instead of discarding, items such as paper plates,
toilet rolls and disposable cutlery can be used for crafts, with
supervised use of glue and paint.
According to Miroslav Riha, country manager for LEGO in South
Africa, children care about the environment and want products
to be sustainable. He says LEGO is still working on getting the
formula right because they know that experimentation and
failing is an important part of learning and innovation.
It is important for families to discuss sustainability and the
LEGO Group is playing an important part in building a sustainable
future. The company believes that by making small but
meaningful changes to its purchasing and living habits, nature
can be protected.

Information and photos supplied by Tribeca PR n

8 Landscape SA • Issue 121 2023