Top 5 ways to involve your kids in Earth Day

Conservation and kids go hand in hand, so here are the Top 5 ways to involve them with Earth Day 2011. One of the sweetest things about children is that when you get their attention, it is 100 percent. They aren’t thinking about politics, or what bills are due yesterday, or planning a million things in their head. Nope, they are just in the here and now.

It’s for this same reason that if you explain to children the reasons why you want to conserve water, protect habitats, or keep bees healthy they are also right with you. They don’t calculate costs, or party affiliation, or what their friends might think. Kids are natural conservationists.

Here are the Top 5 ways you can explore conservationism with your kids this Earth Day, April 22nd.

1. Make a Date: Look at the online event calendars for your local science center, arboretum, zoo, aquarium, or nature center. These calendars are full of fun days that make an average excursion unforgettable, and the focus is nearly all on hopeful conservation. They also often list kid camps, classes, and volunteer opportunities for teens. Look for ways to get your kids engaged by touching, feeling, learning, and helping.
2. Grow with a Purpose: Plant a garden this year with a lifecycle and habitat in mind. For lifecycle growing, have your kids help you start and maintain a compost (which in itself is fascinating science at work!) that prepares and feeds your garden. Also, encourage your children to help you plant and keep up native flowering plants for the bees and trees, with seeds and other fruits for birds and little tree critters, plus your vegetables - all organic, of course!
3. Entertain for Good: There are a lot of television, film, and print resources that educate on conservation, the environment, and nature in a fun and entertaining way that kids embrace. Examples include the Ranger Rick Magazine from the National Wildlife Federation, Disneynature films like Earth and Oceans, and the captivating Discovery Channel series Life narrated by Oprah Winfrey, which is now available on DVD or through a subscription service like Netflix.
4. Put on Your Flip-Flops: If you are going on vacation this summer, pick a beachside getaway that coincides with a local beach cleanup day. Sand Sifters is a great organization in nearby Florida. Your kids will spend two inspirational hours helping nature – and they’ll think twice about where trash goes after that!
5. Pump Up the Tires: Dust off your bikes and peddle to the local store or explore bike paths to make conserving energy fun. You will be surprised how much kids enjoy biking and the diversity you will find outside your car window. To find safer biking routes in our area, go to Google Maps, type in Atlanta, Georgia, and then click on “Get Directions,” and you’ll see a bicycle path layer that clues you into designated safe bike paths in your area. Many states also list nearby recreational bicycle paths for weekend adventures – do a browser search.

The Chattahoochee Nature Center in Rowell is a great place to celebrate Earth Day 2011. Located at 9135 Willeo Rd., it features miles of walking trails and a hands-on Discovery Museum where children can explore conservation in a fun, engaging and educational way.

For more information about going green every day of the year, I highly recommend Tara Wellington’s book titled The Mom's Guide to Growing Your Family Green: Saving the Earth Begins at Home. With the multitude of green choices available, the author advises moms on how to determine what will be best for their families—and the environment.

To preview or order a copy of Tara Wellington’s The Mom's Guide to Growing Your Family Green, click on this Amazon link.

To receive future articles by Jackie Kass, scroll to the top of this article, and click on SUBSCRIBE. Do you have a story idea? I'd love to hear from you! E-mail your ideas to me at jackiekass@bellsouth.net.