Becoming a “Green Family”: Rooted in the Past, Growing a Better Future

Taking inspiration from that video, our final article shows how we can intentionally build this connection to nature into our family life. “Becoming a Green Family” is about more than just playing outside; it’s about creating joyful traditions that foster a deep love for our planet, connecting us to our past, and helping us build a better future.

We have already explored how traditions are the golden threads that weave our family’s story, creating belonging and building memories. But what if our traditions could do even more? What if they could not only strengthen our family but also help heal our planet?

This is the beautiful and urgent idea behind becoming a “Green Family.” It’s about being intentional in creating traditions that connect us to the earth, not just for our family’s well-being, but for the future of all families.

Why Our Planet Needs “Green Families”

Today, we hear a lot about sustainability, which simply means living in a way that allows our children and grandchildren to thrive on a healthy planet. Our modern world, with its fast pace and “throwaway culture,” has created enormous environmental challenges. As parents, this can feel overwhelming.

But here is the hopeful truth: families are at the very heart of the solution. Our homes are the first place children learn their most important values. When we model a life of care and respect for the environment, we are raising the next generation of innovators, caretakers, and leaders who will protect our world. Every small, conscious choice we make—every bottle recycled, every light turned off, every walk taken instead of a drive—sends a powerful message: we are part of nature, and we have a responsibility to care for it.

Looking Back to Move Forward

Becoming a “green family” might sound like a modern, complicated trend, but it’s actually a return to a simpler, wiser way of life. Our grandparents and great-grandparents lived more sustainably out of necessity, not as a lifestyle choice. They didn’t have a “throwaway culture”; they had a “make it last” culture. They mended clothes, grew their own food, wasted nothing, and understood the rhythms of the seasons. Their entertainment was often found in the “enriched free play playground” of nature, as we will discuss in the “Play and Nature” video.

By reviving these timeless practices, we are not just being eco-friendly; we are taking what was good and wise from the past to build a better, more resilient future. We are teaching our children that happiness doesn’t come from having more stuff, but from our connection to each other and to the beautiful world around us.

Re-finding an Old Tradition: The Simple Joy of Outdoor Play

Not so long ago, one of the most universal childhood traditions was simply playing outside. For generations, children’s lives were deeply intertwined with the fields, forests, and streams around them.

However, in recent decades, a profound shift has occurred. As author Richard Louv documents in his landmark book, Last Child in the Woods, many children today are suffering from what he terms “nature-deficit disorder.” This isn’t a medical diagnosis but a description of the human cost of a life alienated from nature. Louv argues that this disconnect contributes to a wide range of behavioral and emotional challenges.

The cure is surprisingly simple: re-establish the tradition of unstructured outdoor play.

When we let our children play freely in nature, we give them a remarkable gift. As we will discuss it it the next video, this type of play is essential for healthy development. It builds resilience as children learn to navigate uneven terrain and assess their own risks. It sparks creativity as a simple stick becomes a magic wand or a mighty sword. And it fosters a profound sense of wonder and connection to the world beyond screens and walls. Making “go play outside” a core family value is perhaps the most important green tradition of all.

Timeless Traditions for a Modern Green Family

Ready to start building your own green family traditions? You might be surprised to learn that some of the most effective eco-friendly habits are not new ideas at all, but timeless practices. By reviving these traditions, we connect with a more resourceful past.

Here are a few ideas to spark your imagination:

• Meatless Monday Meals: For most of human history, meat was a special-occasion food, not an everyday staple. Creating a tradition of a weekly plant-based meal reconnects us with this older, more sustainable way of eating that is lighter on the planet’s resources.
• Harvest Feast: Celebrating the bounty of the land at the end of a growing season is one of the oldest human traditions. Hosting a special meal that features locally grown, seasonal foods honors the farmers who grow our food and teaches our children about the delicious rhythms of nature.
• Repair Night: In the past, when something broke, you fixed it. A “throwaway culture” is a very recent invention. Designating one evening a month for fixing things together—a wobbly chair, a torn shirt, a broken toy—revives the valuable skills of repair and resourcefulness, teaching children that things are worth mending.

By adopting even a few of these traditions, you can build a family culture that is not only playful and connected but also deeply rooted in a love for our planet. For more ideas, check out the “Becoming a Green Family” worksheet!

Further possible readings:

English

• Goleman, Daniel. Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything. Broadway Books, 2009.
• Louv, Richard. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. Algonquin Books, 2008.
• McGurk, Linda Åkeson. There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids. Touchstone, 2017.
• Sampson, Scott D. How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016.
• Savedge, Jenn. The Green Parent: A Guide to Raising Your Children in a Natural, Wholesome, and Eco-Friendly Way. New Society Publishers, 2017.

Greek

• Drake, Jane, and Ann Love. Παιδιά στη Φύση: 101 Δραστηριότητες για Όλες τις Εποχές (Children in Nature: 101 Activities for All Seasons). Patakis Publishers, 2010.
• Goleman, Daniel. Οικολογική Νοημοσύνη (Ecological Intelligence). Ellinika Grammata, 2009.
• WWF Greece. WWF Ελλάς. Accessed October 7, 2025. https://www.wwf.gr.

Polish

• Goleman, Daniel. Inteligencja ekologiczna. Dom Wydawniczy Rebis, 2009.
• Louv, Richard. Ostatnie dziecko lasu (Last Child in the Woods). Mamania, 2014.
• Olejarczyk, Asia. Dzikie Dzieci. Z dala od plastiku, z bliska do natury (Wild Kids: Far from Plastic, Close to Nature). Wydawnictwo Otwarte, 2021.
• Zbadzyńscy, Joanna i Paweł (Kompania Leśna). Jak wychować wolne dziecko? (How to Raise a Free Child?). Wydawnictwo Otwarte, 2023.

Hungarian

• Fülöp, Mónika M. Természetpedagógia (Nature Pedagogy). Flaccus Kiadó, 2014.
• Goleman, Daniel. Ökológiai intelligencia: A radikális transzparencia korának titkai. Nyitott Könyvműhely, 2009.
• Louv, Richard. Az utolsó gyerek az erdőben (Last Child in the Woods). Partvonal Kiadó, 2017.
• Tóth, Noémi. Zöld szokások – Környezettudatos háztartás, hulladék nélkül (Green Habits – Eco-Conscious Household, Without Waste). Boook Publishing, 2020.