Earth Day: How to Get Kids Involved
Photo: Sharon Vos-Arnold/Getty Images
Photograph nature. Snap shots of plants, trees, rocks, and animals in your neighborhood. Print and hang the photos in your kitchen to remind yourselves of what you’re preserving when you choose to recycle, dispose of trash properly, and use biodegradable cleaning products.
Watch the clouds. Lie on a blanket or cuddle on a stoop as you hunt for hippos, lizards, and lions. Afterward, visit CleanAir.org together to discover simple things your family can do to keep our skies blue.
Play an I Spy game where you take turns pointing out birds, flowers, and leaves. Ask your child if she thinks those animals and plants are part of nature like the ones she might find in a protected area such as a national park. Then pose this question: If these animals and plants are also part of nature, shouldn’t we protect them, too?
Gaze upon the stars. Download Google’s Sky Map app for Android phones or Vito Technology’s Star Walk app for iPhones. Then explore nearby constellations together. Discuss how one star looks tiny but is actually huge and how, like a star, one act of kindness to our Earth seems small but makes a big difference.
Click It: GreenRibbonSchools.org. If you’re interested in making your child’s school a more eco-friendly learning environment in small ways or grand, this site is for you. It offers real school examples, instructions, and support for green projects. Plant a vegetable garden? Adopt a park? It’s in there.
Dianne Bright is a freelance writer and mom living in southern California. She loves to read, run, and drink strong coffee.
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