Teaching Children about Earth Day

I think Earth Day is an important celebration and reminder to ourselves that we need to take care of our Earth.

I want to impart this message on my son.

How can I naturally incorporate learning about caring for the Earth in our lives?

Teach him to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

This means modeling.  Showing him that we buy less.  Showing him how to reuse things – like boxes and containers.  Teaching him how to recycle.  Practice sorting recylables.  He is really good at spotting trash on the ground outside.  He knows it doesn’t belong there.  He always wants to pick it up.  Promoting this in a safe way (wash hands immediately after or use gloves) will encourage this behavior.

Help him appreciate the Earth.

Get outside.  

Take notice of the animals and plant life around us.  Learn about them.  Appreciate their differences.  Talk about what happens when they’re gone (when he’s a bit older).

Start a garden – local food, especially organic, is better for the environment.

Do you need a little convincing on why you should care?  {I hope not.}  I talk about the damage trash can do to our environment here.

There are so many more things you can do.

• Read about Earth Day celebrations and ideas from the Earth Day Network.
• Find ways you can protect the environment from the EPA.  Pledge to Pick 5.  Learn how you can teach others about the environment.
• Celebrate Earth Day with ideas from the websites below.  You can share your ideas, too!  Link up your post any time between now and April 24th.

Linking up here, too.