Pet & Animal: How to Teach Children About Earth Day

On April 22nd, people across the world plan fundraisers, events and activities to highlight the importance of taking care of the environment. If you are involved in these celebrations, you may have pledged time, money or conservation efforts toward creating more awareness for local environmental issues. Children may not understand the importance of these events, so it is important to find ways to help them learn about their impact on the world. The best way to help Earth Day appeal to children is to make fun activities that teach them about nature, conservation and more. Begin teaching your child about the Earth well before Earth Day. Children need time to consider and absorb what they are taught before becoming an active part of the green community. Find out how to teach children about Earth Day.

Steps

Introducing Children to Earth Day

Read your earth-themed children's story. Some great selections include "Earth Day: An Alphabet Book," "Earth Day Birthday," "Our Big Home: An Earth Poem." "Michael Recycle," "The Earth Book," "The Happiness Tree," "The Lorax", "10 Things I Can Do to Help My World," "All the World" and "All Around Me I See."
- You can also download free activity guides for "10 Things I can Do to Help My World" and "Our Big Home: An Earth Poem." Go to http://ift.tt/1yR7aLP and http://ift.tt/1DMeyXq to download these guides.
- Instead of buying books, you can request them from your local library. Many libraries have an online system that allows you to borrow from other state libraries, if it is not part of your library's holdings.
Request free coloring books from environmental agencies. You can acquire a "Save Our Species" coloring book from the US Environmental Protection Agency, at http://ift.tt/1yR7aLR.
Go online to environmental websites that cater to kids. Visit The Lorax Project, http://ift.tt/1yR7aLR, Kids for Saving Earth, kidsforsavingearth.org, Planet Pals, planetpals.com and PBS Eeko World, http://ift.tt/1DMewyV. Go online with your child and help them navigate the activities.
Ask your children questions after you read, color or peruse an Earth or environmental website. Use the Socratic method to find out what they understand about Earth Day issues. Starting a conversation with your children will familiarize them with "green" vocabulary, open up communication lines, so that they are more likely to comprehend Earth Day activities.
- For example, you may want to ask children about the other animals that share the local areas and global wilderness with us. You can ask them about weather, such as rain and sun. You can ask them if they know where materials come from, such as glass, plastic, aluminum or paper. Look through the book or website ahead of time to determine what questions will be the most useful to help assess and enhance their knowledge of the earth.

Encouraging Earth Appreciation

Spend time outside, in a natural setting. If you live in a city or the suburbs, plan a trip to a nature preserve, wooded area or large park. Children can learn with all their senses if you discuss the Earth or read a book about the Earth in a place where they can witness proof of the plants and animals that rely on it.
- The Earth Day network reported that 90 percent of children's playtime in America is spent indoors. Changing this percentage is likely to make your children more aware of their environment. The more time you devote to discovery in a natural setting, the more likely your children are to take an interest in protecting nature. Consider taking nature walks, visiting an aquarium, flying kites or swimming in an outdoor pool or lake.
Go on a photo shoot. Give your child a camera that they can easily use. After explaining an Earth Day theme, ask them to explore a natural area and take pictures of things that remind them of what you talked about.
- When they are finished, make a photo collage online or in a scrapbook. Add to the scrapbook every year around Earth Day.
Encourage children to write their own poem or essay about the Earth. Give them a theme chosen from this year's Earth Day celebration and allow them to use their creativity.

Teaching Eco-Friendly Practices

Choose Earth Day topics and activities based on the age of your children. Children are able to comprehend things more fully as they get older. The following guidelines may be helpful in deciding what topics you should address:
- Pre-schoolers will not be able to comprehend large concepts, such as species extinction or climate change. Teach environmental issues in terms of sharing. Help them to understand conserving water and electricity by explaining that using too much will not leave enough for everyone else.
- Teach children aged 5 to 9 by giving them activities. They like to be useful and help you with your activities like baking, cooking and some housework. Teach young children to recycle and then take them to a center where they can get paid for their efforts. This will give them positive reinforcement in the future.
- Give children aged 10 to 13 a project. Ask them to research and brainstorm ways to reduce electricity or garbage waste. One good idea is to say that if they can help to lower electricity bills, they will receive a bonus on their allowance or a fun trip.
- Ask teenagers to get involved by picking a more stylish subject. Fashion and cars are excellent places to start. For example, tell your child that the family will buy their summer clothing only from companies that use sustainable materials and processes. Allow them to choose 1 or 2 places based on the budget for clothing and other parameters. Also, ask them to help the family use less gas. If they succeed, they can get priority car use for a week or month.
Make and set goals as a family. If a family decides they want to reduce car use, then make sure everyone has a bicycle, scooter or other alternative transportation source. Plan to take shorter showers and time everyone for a week or turn off lights and create a fine jar for any family member who does not.
Engage in reuse or recycling craft projects. Choose a project that is easy to accomplish for the child's skill level. The following are great craft options:
- Go through your recycling bins to look for containers, such as tin cans, that can be used as flower planters. Find soil and seeds to plant and grow your own herbs, flowers or vegetables. Egg shells and milk bottles can also be used, when their tops are removed.
- Encourage children to bring a little of the outdoors indoors. Have them gather rocks and paint them for paper weights. You can also make ornaments out of pine cones or cover them in peanut butter or seeds for bird feeders.
- Make a papier mache globe by gathering newspaper and other paper from the recycling bins. Mix up a batch of papier mache glue with household materials. Use a blown up balloon for the center. Once the project is dry, paint it with land and water using non-toxic paint.
Make a recycler's relay at a child's Earth Day party. Find aluminum, plastic and other materials and give each child a bag full of mixed recycling. Give prizes to the fastest and most accurate recyclers.