Recycle & Reuse: Eco-friendly activities in Dalton for kids this summer

Published 8:15 am Wednesday, June 4, 2025

School’s out for the summer, leaving many of us wondering how to keep kids busy without relying too heavily on screens or trips that cost a fortune. Luckily, there are a lot of eco-friendly activities that we can do in our area. They’re engaging, low-cost or even free, and help teach kids about caring for the environment in small but lasting ways.

Summer break is the perfect time to get outside and explore local parks and nature areas. Take kids on simple walks through the trails at places like Rocky Face Ridge Park or the Dalton State College Roadrunner trails. This lets them experience the outdoors and get an appreciation for our beautiful environment here in Dalton.

You can even bring along a bag and gloves and turn your outing into a mini cleanup. Picking up litter teaches kids that they have the power to help make their community cleaner and it often ends up feeling like a scavenger hunt that you didn’t have to set up. It also gets them asking questions about where trash goes and how long it stays in the environment. If you need materials for the cleanup, reach out to Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful by emailing ahartline@dwswa.org to plan a pickup of materials for free.

Visiting the local farmers market is another eco-friendly outing. Dalton’s market is a good place to let kids get fresh fruits and vegetables and meet local farmers. Encourage kids to bring their own reusable bag. Buying food grown locally helps cut down on the environmental strain that transporting food over long distances can cause. You can visit the Dalton farmers market on Tuesday and Saturday mornings at the Dalton Green at 117 N. Selvidge St.

You may find you or your child inspired by the farmers market and get interested in gardening this summer. Gardening is low-cost and a great skill to learn young. Kids tend to love the chance to get their hands dirty and watch the progress their plants make. It’s also an easy way to talk about how food grows and the patience it takes to help plants thrive.

Watering plants and watching them grow gives kids a regular task to care about through the summer. Personally, I have found pumpkins and zinnias the easiest to take care of so I highly recommend those for young gardeners. I also recommend planting just a bit more than you want so it isn’t an issue if some of the plants don’t make it.

The Northwest Georgia Regional Library System has its annual summer reading program again this summer and it is a great opportunity to teach kids about borrowing books from the library which cuts down on the needed production of paper. Children, teens and adults can participate so you can join in together, just make sure you log your reading before the program ends on July 11.

The Dalton-Whitfield County Public Library will also be having a Little Sprouts event with Jennifer Desrochers, which is a great opportunity to learn about environmental topics hands-on. All of the libraries will be hosting Animal Adventures where you can learn about and see exotic animals and learn about their habitats which are crucial to their survival. All of the events with the library system are free to attend, making them accessible for many.

Families looking for local ways to stay involved in eco-friendly fun can find helpful updates by following Recycling Ben on Facebook. As the mascot for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Recycling Ben shares information about free or low-cost activities that are kid-friendly and focused on helping the environment. Their page offers tips, printable activities and announcements about community events that make it easy to keep sustainability part of your summer routine.

Eco-friendly activities offer more than just something to do. They help kids build a sense of purpose, creativity and awareness that will benefit them long after summer ends.

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.