Did you know that April marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day? Growing up my mother was always trying to impress upon us how important it is to take care of our environment, not just for ourselves, but for our children, and our children’s children. In celebration of Earth Day, I asked Doreen, who writes at Mom Goes Green, to share a few ideas on how we might teach our little ones about being green. - Shannan
One of the wisest things I’ve ever heard is that “we don’t raise children, we raise adults”. Children know how to be children but by teaching them to make the right health-conscious and environmental choices now, it will last their lifetime.
Regardless of how we “look at it”, I’m sure we can all agree that we simply want to raise great children… children that grow into adults with respect for themselves, respect for others, and also respect for this amazing planet we live on. Earth Day is the perfect time to start talking about how our every choice affects us and the planet, but it can also teach them that these choices should be a part of 365 days a year to make an important and long-lasting difference.
I believe there are 10 simple ways to help us raise happy, green kids so let’s get started!
- Make recycling a habit – teach children what is trash and what is recyclable, and make it a simple practice at home. This habit will inevitably stick with them for life.
- Green craft – from habits like using both sides of the paper for drawing, to creating crafts and art with recycled materials, your little artist will realize that the greatest masterpieces don’t require expensive trips to the craft store… reusing materials is both fun and environmental.
- Teach respect for the environment & nature –read books about preserving the world around us, take nature hikes or simply have little discussions about the earth. They will understand why to make good choices and actually see what we are setting out to preserve.
- Teach about waste & not over-consuming – whether it’s turning off water when it’s not being used (brushing teeth!), shutting off unneeded lights, taking only as much as you truly need, etc. these habits can be practiced by even the smallest of environmentalists!
- Plant together – whether it’s a full garden, a tree or a simple pot of flowers or vegetables, kids love to watch things grow and they will learn to appreciate where everything comes from. You can even plan a trip to a farmer’s market and explain the benefits of organic and locally-grown produce to reduce the effects on us and our environment.
- Organize challenges & activities – every kid loves a challenge. Set-up anything from a week-long challenge to reduce the amount of trash your family creates to a one-night challenge to see who can take the shortest (yet still effective!) shower… they’ll jump at the chance to be an eco-winner!
- Help them master the art of giving – teach them the beauty of clearing out and passing on their outgrown toys, games, books and clothing. Explain how this helps other children and why getting the full “life” out of everything keeps useful “trash” from being sent to landfills.
- Volunteer together – whether it’s a large community event or a family organized activity (like cleaning up the trash at a local park or walking trail), there are opportunities everywhere and they’ll see that these efforts go far beyond our own backyards.
- Give lessons in the three r’s – (it’s not just reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic anymore) – reuse, reduce and recycle opportunities are everywhere. Lead them in the right direction, explain why this is a “green mantra” and soon those decisions will become automatic.
- Lead by example – “Monkey see, monkey do”… kids notice everything, so when you make the right choices, it simply becomes a part of who they are and it will last their lifetime…
A recent study says that 1 in 3 children fear that “the planet won’t exist” when they grow up… make today the day to start teaching them that no matter how young they are, they have the power to make all the difference in the world!
My boys really got into recycling after my oldest studied Earth Day at school. They’d read an article about taking care of the environment and one of the things it mentioned was making a recycling bin. Loving the excitement we saw in their eyes, that weekend we picked up the supplies and made one.
If you too are talking with your children about Earth Day, we’d love to hear what you’re saying. How are you teaching your Sproutlet to care for our environment?