It’s Our Planet Too – Eco fun for little people
It’s Our Planet Too is a social enterprise, founded by Kate a mum of two with the aim of inspiring our children to love and care for the environment. They have recently launched a new eco subscription box for children – a Tool Kit for Eco Heroes. We chat to Kate about her own journey and inspiration behind setting up her children’s eco brand.
Can you tell us why you started It’s Our Planet Too ?
The idea for It’s Our Planet Too came about many years ago. Having studied Environmental Science at university, I always had an idea to launch a website for children about the environment and registered the domain names nearly fifteen years ago but it wasn’t until I had children of my own that I had the opportunity to develop the idea.
Now eleven and nine, my children are growing up in a world facing very real challenges. Their generation is starting to take notice of our impact on the environment and the importance of taking care of our precious planet. We need them to become eco-heroes who are empowered to make a difference, so It’s Our Planet Too is about inspiring them to care.
Much of our inspiration comes from the animal kingdom, particularly the plight of endangered animals. By emphasising how amazing some of these iconic creatures are, we hope to engage with more children. If you tell a child that you can swim through the veins of a blue whale, how can they not fail to be inspired! I know I am!
What’s your aim with It’s Our Planet Too ?
At It’s Our Planet Too, our vision is for every child to believe that they have the power to protect our planet.
I want to believe that if everyone was aware of the impact that their actions were having on our planet, they would take steps to change it. But this has to start with gently educating our children (and their families) – so considering our environmental impact becomes a way of life and starts to dictate the choices that we all make.
Our aim is to encourage children to think about how what we do affects nature and the environment. From tiny seedlings to huge trees and the animals that rely on them.
It’s Our Planet Too is a Social Enterprise, so what does that mean ?
Social enterprises are businesses that are trying to change the world for the better. Just like traditional businesses, they aim to make a profit. It’s what they do with this profit that sets them apart – reinvesting or donating them to create positive social change.
At It’s Our Planet Too we are committed to giving back. Be it educating our little ones and their families to make a positive change for a greener future, or supporting a charity that is very close to our hearts. We pledge to give a minimum of 50% of our profits to good causes and are proud to support a wonderful new conservation charity that is supporting wildlife rangers that protect the animals that our children love.
Were you an eco kid ?
Only as much as any child of the 80s! However, I do remember there being a mock election at primary school to coincide with a general election and I was the only child in my class to vote ‘green’, so I am guessing that eco-passion has been there a long time!
What does living sustainably means to you ?
Sustainable living is about making small conscious changes. For example walking instead of driving, recycling, being aware of our water usage. Also cutting down on waste, ditching the clingfilm, eating less red meat.
Don’t aim for perfection because the chances are, you will fail, just start small. Don’t radically change your life. Just do what you can and before long it becomes a habit. Then you’re on your way to making a difference and changing the world.
What’s your biggest tip for families trying to be a little more eco ?
It’s My planet too… biggest tip would be to lead by example. Make it normal to say no to single-use plastic, remember to bring your reusable bottles and cups everywhere. Recycle get composting, enjoy nature. Children love to do their part in helping our environment. So by showing your little ones how it’s done, they will very quickly get the picture. Making sustainable choices then becomes a way of life.
Tell us more about the new subscription box.
Since our website launch, It’s Our Planet Too has received amazing feedback from parents – a recent impact survey suggested that 72% of respondents have spoken to their children about the environment as a result of seeing our messaging.
We have been reliant on busy parents passing on our messages to their children. So we wanted to create something tangible that children can learn from directly, so we developed the idea for an eco subscription box – a Tool Kit For Eco Heroes – aimed at 3 to 8 year olds.
Each monthly tool kit is themed around a specific environmental issue or an endangered animal and are designed to connect children with our precious planet. In a typical box, you will find many hours of activities (which may include arts and crafts, science experiments, gardening or messy play). Most of the activities utilise materials already found in the home or even in the recycling box!
Here at It’s our planet too, we recognise that many parents don’t feel equipped to their children about environmental concerns. So an easy crib sheet is included in each tool kit. We want to empower parents to start those conversations. We want to make it easier to include their children on the journey to greener living.
They are 100% sustainable and plastic free and provide a fun and exciting eco-led gift that educates and gives back. As a social enterprise, we commit to giving 50% of our profits to good causes and are proud to support a conservation charity that strives for the wildlife rangers, protecting the animals that our children love.
We offer a number of flexible subscription plans or you can purchase a one-off tool kit from our website.
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