Easy and Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids to Go Green
August 22, 2012
Going Green doesn’t have to be something that is left solely up to adults. In fact, teaching your children at a young age to lead a more sustainable and earth-friendly lifestyle is not difficult. It can even be fun. Here are just a few ways that you can involve your children in going green and foster a love for the environment at the same time.
The Importance of Going Green
When a parent goes to teach the importance of trust and not lying, they may bring up the fable of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. The same can be done when teaching the importance of protecting our environment.
I discussed The Lorax before in my Politically Motivated Children’s Book article. It’s a great way to demonstrate the damage that can be done to the environment by humans, in a way that’s easy for kids to understand.
Get Your Kids Into the Environment
In a world of endless indoor activities, more and more children are not deeply exposed to our environment. The best way to get a child involved in green activities is to get them involved in the environment itself.
You can take your children on a hike to show them different types of trees, wildlife, plants, or rocks. It can be a learning experience and open the door to communication about environmental issues. You can also bring important issues to them via the Internet. I prefer doing as much outdoors as possible, but sometimes that is not plausible.
If indoors, find a Bald Eagle cam online and let your children watch the majestic birds. If you are lucky you may even be able to spot a baby eagle hatching. This can lead to a discussion about threatened, endangered, and extinct species.
Get Involved
Let your children participate in small tasks like separating out the recycling, helping hang clothes on the clothesline, or allowing them to pick out their own produce at the farmer’s market. They will feel involved in the process. These small items can turn into big long-term actions for your child.
For craft time encourage them to reuse old items and repurpose them for crafting. Old computer paper that was only used on one side can be a perfect canvas for a new piece of artwork. You can repurpose loose buttons, cans, jugs, or bits of paper into new projects.
Children love to help and always want to learn more. If you give them the opportunity to foster a love for the environment you may be surprised at what these little people can accomplish on their own.
What is your favorite way to involve your kids in your eco-friendly living?
