Play For Future

Did you know that the visibility of the stars is reducing drastically because there are too many lights on in our homes and cities? Stick this leaf next to the switch and colour in a light bulb every time you remember to switch off the light. When you have coloured them all in, count them so you know how many times you helped the environment by respecting its natural light.

Water is a precious resource, don’t waste it! Did you know that if you turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth, you could save up to 20 large bottles of water? Set a 3-minute timer before you start brushing your teeth. Remember to keep the tap turned off while you are brushing. Colour in a heart on the back of the leaf every time you observe the timer and remember to turn off the tap. When the leaf is all coloured in, you will have picked up a good habit and the leaf will be your medal!

Try not to wastewater; it is a precious resource! 15 minutes in the shower could use the equivalent of up to 50 large bottles of water! Before you get in the shower, set a timer and remember: if you do not finish your shower in a hurry... The environmental alarm will sound! Colour in a heart on the back of the leaf every time you observe the timer; when the leaf is all coloured in you will have picked up a good habit.

Did you know a plastic bottle takes up to 1,000 years to decompose in the ground? Do an experiment to see how long it takes nature to dispose of our waste. Fill two yoghurt pots with wet soil, then bury a real leaf in the first and a plastic bottle top in the second. Attach the little leaf to the pot in which you placed the real leaf and wait... Only one thing will disappear. Did you guess which?

Has it ever occurred to you that the things you no longer use can be transformed into something else? Build, cut, stick or paint the items you have at home and imagine a new role for them in your room! The back of a truck can become a new pen pot or a holder for your cards... and then what? Plenty of room for imagination!

Have you ever wondered how many types of leaf there are in the natural world? Collect the leaves you find on the ground and stick them in a notebook. How many shapes can you count? And how many different edges? Collect the same leaves in different seasons and compare them. What do you notice? Are they the same colour or different colours?

Do you know how long it takes a seed to become a plant? Take a container, place a slightly moistened cotton wool pad inside and put a dried bean of your choosing on top. Cut out the little leaf and attach it to the container, making a note of the day on which you are doing it. Now remember to moisten the cotton wool every morning. What happens after a few days?

They say that giving a name to things increases their importance. Why don’t you give a name to your plants too? It will be a little extra gesture for taking good care of them! Attach this little leaf to the pot, so everyone knows whom it belongs to and can call it by name.

Plants grow every day just like you, but we never see them move - they always seem completely still! Observe how the plants you have in your garden or on your balcony grow: take a photo every day and then arrange them in sequence... Do you think they are all growing at the same rate?