… Parents: Educate your children with these fun, eco-and-kid-friendly activities
I am a firm believer that parents are (whether they like it or not) the key educator in their children’s lives. By your actions and your words, your children learn right and wrong. What your passions are, there’s will be too. (At least until they get older and develop their own opinions and pursuits.)
Do you feel the weight of this responsibility? You should - it’s a big one. So don’t take it lightly.
When it comes to educating your children on the environment, consider conversations and activities with which they’ll connect.
Why not give the following a shot:
- Get outdoors. Walk in the woods or park and see how many animals and animal tracks you can spot. Then, teach your child the names of these creatures. If they’re old enough to understand, explain to them how some animals are becoming endangered, and what they can do to help.
- Go camping. No electricity – just the sun and the stars in the sky. A fire at night to toast some marshmallows… it won’t be hard to make memories here.
- “Get a book on wild food foraging at the library and spend an afternoon foraging wildfoods with your child. We forget that for thousands of years people survived on the foods that nature provided rather than from packages from the grocer. Be sure that your child knows not to eat anything without your permission and if you are not sure that something is edible don't eat it!” (HubPages)
- Shop for groceries in your back yard by planting a garden.
- “Build a butterfly house, a bird house or a bat house. Better yet, build all three! Attracting birds and bats to your yard will help cut down on pests in natural way.” (HubPages)
- Recycle. Spend time sorting your items together, all the while explaining why it’s important to do so.
- Donate. Spend time going through old clothes and toys. Help your child to understand that giving away what we no longer want and need can benefit those around us.
- Join forces. There are other parents in your community who want to share their eco-friendly passions as much as you do. Band together by hosting green-get-togethers. Play a game outdoors, make arts and crafts, etc.
The important thing to remember here is that learning is a life-long process. You won’t be perfect, but you will be memorable.
Have you taken the time to be an eco-friendly parent lately? Tell us about your activities and ideas for educational fun in the comment section or on our Facebook page.
By Gingerly Green of Two Girls Go Green (@TwoGirlsGoGreen)
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