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This year on Earth Day – April 22 – an estimated billion people across the planet will take action to help preserve our planet.1 How can you teach your children to be environmentally responsible, and also make it fun for them?
Here are some ways to make every day an Earth Day for kids:
Plenty of outdoor time
Even before Earth Day arrives, make sure that your children have plenty of outdoor time. Let them play with dirt, get fresh air, observe insects, and watch things grow.
To experience empathy for our environment we need to be in it. So, let your children’s imagination run free by frolicking in the rain, collecting rocks, going on a scavenger hunt, or collecting different plants, flowers, leaves, or other things from a garden.
How to Respect Nature
Help your child understand the important roles that certain plants and animals play in the food chain. Bees are a great place to start, since so many plants and animals rely on pollination for food. Without bees, it is reported that 332,000 plant species could be in danger since they depend on insect pollination.2
You and your child might decide to plant a bee-friendly flower garden, to provide forage and help keep the bee species alive. Certain flowers such as Black Eyed Susan, pansies and lavender, and herbs such as oregano and thyme, attract bees, which through pollination and the food chain helps animals and other creatures to survive, too.
Another fun and helpful activity you can do with your child is to plant a tree in the backyard, since trees create oxygen for everything living nearby. You also could build bird feeders to sustain our winged friends, or set up a bird bath to help keep them clean. Both are fun and easy to do, making these great Earth Day activities for preschoolers and older kids alike.
Recycle Routinely
Kids learn through repetition, so by recycling things daily you can set a good example for your children. Teach them how to properly recycle paper, plastics, metals, glass, and other recyclables on your town’s list.
However, keep in mind that not all paper, plastics or other objects are recyclable. Items such as food-soiled containers, used tissues, tiny pieces of plastic, and broken glass should be thrown out with the regular trash, or according to your town’s recycling list.
Many items can be reused, such as paper and plastic bags. You can show your child how to put bags to good use by taking them along when you go shopping, to reuse instead of relying on new bags.
Reuse with Purpose and Creativity
Not only can repurposing help to reduce waste; it can also spark creativity. “Reuse projects” – which can come in handy, particularly on rainy days – can keep children creatively busy with arts and crafts. For example, your child could use photos from old magazines to create collages or other art, or could make a bird feeder out of plastic soda bottles.
Ways to Conserve Energy
Remind your kids to turn off the TV when they’re not watching it, and to turn off the lights when leaving a room. This good habit helps not only to cut down your electricity bill, but also to help your child understand the proverb, “waste not, want not.”
The best way for your children to become more Earth-friendly is to be Earth-friendly yourself. Set good examples daily to help raise a responsible, respectful kid.
SOURCE:
1 – “Earth Day – April 22,” Earth Day Network, https://www.earthday.org/earthday/
2 – “What You Need to Know About Bees and How You Can Help to Protect Them,” Earth Day Network, https://www.earthday.org/campaigns/endangered-species/bees/
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