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Love Our Planet - Earth Day
Every April, we celebrate Earth Day, focusing on our planet, taking care of our natural resources, and learning what we can do to keep the earth vibrant for years to come. From conservation of ecosystems, to learning more about endangered species, to generating ideas about future technological innovations that can reduce waste and litter. Sometimes when children learn about big problems, they feel like they want to do something, but are overwhelmed at the scope. Teaching them how to take care of the earth from an early age can give them tools to feel like they can contribute to their own future and give them a sense of responsibility.
Here are some earth-friendly habits kids can do at any age, any day of the year, not just Earth Day:
- Learn not to litter. Just like we teach our children not to leave a mess in their rooms and around the home, instilling the habit of not leaving trash on the ground helps train them to take care of the places around them. It also helps them become more aware of their impact on other people. A fun activity to help children reinforce the idea of not littering is an at-home scavenger hunt: print pictures of common trash, hide them around the house, and have kids find them. For older children, find a local park and go pick up real trash! Many communities have days where people can sign up to help keep the parks clean.
- Learn about recycling. So much of what gets thrown away can actually be recycled, but different locations have different capacity to do it effectively. Help kids learn to recycle by going to your local dump if available and ask what they recycle. Then have the kids decorate their own recycling bins at home, so it is fun for them when trash day approaches.
- Learn about composting. One of the best ways to participate in keeping the planet is composting, taking natural materials like food scraps and items made from 100% bamboo or tree bark and using them to make soil for plants. There are child-friendly compost kits for people living in apartments or in cities, and for people with land starting an at-home compost pile is really easy. Having the kids help curate the compost and then letting them select a plant to grow using the soil they helped create can help them appreciate the natural cycles of the planet.
Taking care of the planet is part of our responsibility as people, and helping kids see their part to play can help them feel empowered to build a better world.
What ways does your family show love for our planet?
by Bethany Verrett
Bethany is a freelance writer and editor. Click on her name to find out more!
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