Remember the last time you went to the park and got suckered into buying a cheap plastic kite, toy gun, bubble wand, sand toy, or any other inane item from a street vendor? It lasted all of about five minutes and was subsequently broken or left behind. However, while it may be out of sight for you, that plastic toy ends up in a landfill that will still be on earth, long after we’re gone.

As we give in to the “let’s just buy it because it’s so cheap” shopping impulse, plastic toys become an ever more formidable enemy in the battle to save our natural environment. There are a few fairly simple fixes to this problem – buy less, buy quality, buy secondhand. If you’re looking for a more fun solution, however, Roots & Shoots China came up with a super neat paper toy workshop that involves your child while also encouraging creativity!

Starting from today (Oct 21) until the end of the month, Roots & Shoots Beijing will be running a series of DIY paper toy workshops at two shopping malls in town – CapitaMall Taiyanggong and CapitaMall Wangjing. Each workshop will feature a different theme, from Amazing Sea Creatures to The World of Dinosaurs, culminating in a unique toy that kids will make and bring home with them. Likewise, the workshops are conducted in Mandarin so this could be a great way to immerse your child in the local language. The activities cost as little as RMB 5 to RMB 60, and you can get 50 percent off if you simply flash your Element Fresh membership card. If you’re not yet a member, it costs nothing to become one right now.

For the uninitiated, Roots & Shoots is a global community action program founded by Dr. Jane Goodall back in 1991. It seeks to inspire and empower young people all over the world to proactively ensure a better future for humanity, animals, and the environment. Anyone can join the community and put together an earth-saving initiative anytime!

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Images: Pexels, courtesy of Roots & Shoots China, Roots & Shoots

Every once in a while something comes across our desk that’s truly out of this world. This March, Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB) is hosting the very first Mission Discovery, in conjunction with International Space School Educational Training (ISSET), Young Edsplorer Pvt Ltd., and M2 Ideas.

This is an amazing opportunity for any children from the age of 14 up to immerse themselves in world of discoveries under the guidance of a NASA astronaut, a NASA Leader, and a King’s College scientist, with the opportunity to have the experiment that your child designs during those five days be carried out on the International Space Station!

From March 30 to April 3, spend five days at the first Mission Discover in China held at CISB. The workshop is limited to 400 students and early registration is highly recommended. Book before January 30 for the early-bird price of USD 850 (original price USD 980).

According to former NASA astronaut and president of United Space Alliance Mike McCulley, “Mission Discovery was, by far, the most comprehensive, interesting, and education endeavor I have been involved with.”

The workshop gives kids the opportunity to hear firsthand about the experience of being in space and learn what it takes to become an astronaut. “Mission Discovery is the most complete and exciting educational program I have worked with. I’m always excited to see where the students’ imagination takes them and watch them develop throughout the week. When I was young, I would have loved the chance to have an experiment flown in space,” says astronaut Dr. Michael Foale CBE.

To learn more about Mission Discovery, scan the QR code above.

Photos: courtesy of Canadian International School of Beijing, www.missiondiscoveryasia.com, unsplash