Simple Ways to Educate Kids About the Environment through Action for Earth Day

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Earth Day

What better occasion is there than today, which is Earth Day, to teach kids how they can get involved in helping the environment?  

As readers know, my family are avid lovers and protectors of the environment.  As regular contributors to our local community, we've helped renovate landscaping and gardens at public schools in Southern California.  We've also participated in cleanup days at the beach. 

We've visited more than 100 U.S. National Parks, we garden as a family, and I've written about various Earth-conscious groups such as Ritz-Carlton's Ambassadors of the Environment and Nature Rocks.  I've also blogged about eco artists such as Hearts of Haiti and influential environmentalists and authors such as Ed Begley.  Lots of eco-friendly crafts that kids can make have also been featured on this blog, too.

Here are five easy and fun ways, provided by LiveStrong.com, that get even very young children involved in creating a greener planet for all.

My oldest son (now 15) has been gardening with me since he was a toddler
Vintage Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Garden

Plant seeds or plants.  Growing your own vegetables without pesticides is good for the environment as well as your family's health. 

Community Cleanup

Schedule a community cleanup day with the kids.  Cleaning up the local area helps the environment and creates a sense of community with the kids and other. 

Toy Swap

Help the kids organize a toy swap instead of throwing away old toys, which results in more waste in the landfill. Each child brings her old toys that she no longer wants, and the kids swap toys with one another. That way,each child goes home with different toys, and nothing ends up in the landfill.

Pledge

Encourage kids to create a written Earth Day pledge that states what they promise to do to keep the earth clean while protecting the environment.  Then, get all the youngsters to sign this pact.

Green Committee

Set the stage for a kids' green committee that puts awareness, responsibility, and action in the hands of the children.  For example, a children's eco-friendly group at school can monitor the campus to make sure the other kids and the students' parents are making green choices.  They also might find new ways to make the school green, such as adding recycling bins or planting flowers, as well as bringing ecology into the classroom.

As soon as this post goes live, I'm heading outside with my four kids to do some yard cleanup and gardening.  Watch for a later post with pictures and a story about what my family does to mark this important day.  What will you be doing with your family for Earth Day?  Please leave a post and share.

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