Celebrate Earth Day- 5 Ways We Can Learn About and Help the Environment
With Earth Day just around the corner, now is the perfect time to teach your little ones about how we can work to help preserve the environment.
- Recycle- but first, learn how!
Learn to reduce trash with a fun game: on pieces of cardboard, draw different items that can be recycled (make two of each!). Flip all the pieces over and play a matching memory game! You can talk about which of the items you’re matching could be reused for other purposes, and which can always go into the recycling bin!
2. Walk or Bike!
Visiting a neighbor or friend? As the weather warms up, try walking or biking to close places instead of driving! This alternative helps reduce pollution and smog, and it can add some fun exercise into your day!
3. Plant a garden!
A growing little one can watch flowers and plants grow with them in the garden! Plants have lots of environmental benefits, and planting and maintaining a garden can also teach kids about natural life cycles. This activity lines up with our April curriculum theme, about how Things Grow and Change. Try using Earth “Glitter”- and watch our tutorial on how to create the easy seed craft here!
4. Work on saving water!
Turning the water off while brushing your teeth can save two to three gallons of water a day! Find little ways like to stop running water for long periods of time or even reuse water- catch rainwater and use it to water your garden!
5. Identify things you can repurpose or reuse!
If your little one is growing fast, clothes can come and go, but there are lots of ways an old t-shirt or pair of jeans can be reused! You can cut clothing into rags for cleaning (and your little one can work on their fine motor skills while using the scissors)! Those same rags cut from clothing can be toys as well- blankets for dolls, or strips of cloth for their own blanket or bag!
