Environmental conservation is a huge problem, but it’s not just our problem; it’s a problem that we’ll leave to the next generation. So, the most humane thing we could do is teach the younger generation how they could effectively deal with it when their time comes.
Now, the earlier you start, the better it will be. Values that they develop early on and lessons they adopt this way will stick with them, and they’ll be the core ideas around which their personality later develops.
However, kids nowadays don’t have the most admirable time-span and might need a bit different (more engaging) approach. With that in mind, here are the top five fun activities you can use to educate kids about environmental conservation.
1. Nature walk scavenger hunt
The biggest downside of walking through nature is that kids usually have their minds set on the goal and don’t pay attention to their surroundings. However, what if you were to gamify this? What if you gave them a task to find a rock or a leaf that’s of a special shape, size, or color? What if you scored this and made a leaderboard?
The point is not in them actually finding these items; it’s about them paying attention to their surroundings. This way, you can make them observe rocks and leaves without directly telling them to do so (which many might develop an aversion to).
You get to take them to a place they visited a hundred times already, but now allow them to see it in a different light finally.
More importantly, you get them to actually pay attention to the amount and proportion of litter and natural elements.
2. Water conservation workshop
One of the main reasons why a lot of people in First-world countries don’t take the potential water crisis seriously is because they never saw it first-hand. After all, they never lack water, and when they look at the globe, all they see is blue.
What you need to explain to them is that not all water can be drunk and that in order to do so, you have to improve water quality. You can take them to a place where it all starts: a water conservation workshop.
Explain why water conservation is important. Explain how the water gets to their home and how it circulates in nature. Teach them the difference between the water they can drink and the water that will cause them some serious health problems.
Kids learn through play and interactive experiences. They hate the idea of being just told what to do. However, once you help them reach their own conclusions, they’ll adopt this knowledge, and it will follow them for life.
Also, explain that conserving water is not just smart and humane but also a frugal decision. Saving money will help their parents, as well, not just the planet.
3. Watching a wildlife documentary
You know that every five-year-old kid develops a fascination with dinosaurs. Kids imagination is vivid and as soon as they learn about the existence of such creatures, they can’t stop thinking about it.
They just can’t comprehend the idea of such majestic and enormous creatures existing in the world. The problem is that they don’t realize that there are so many incredible creatures that they’ve never heard of.
Tell them about some of the fastest animals and compare them to things they believe are incredibly fast. Talk about the incredible sleeping habits, eating habits, or habitats of some of the animals they’ve never heard of before.
This will become the only thing they think and can talk about for weeks. It will also ignite a spark of curiosity. This is your main objective. You want them to ask their parents and teachers more questions. You want them to look up more materials on their own. Without this, anything else you do is for nothing.
4. Plant a tree
Next, you want to take them to plant a tree, which is a useful activity that will benefit them in so many ways.
First, it teaches a valuable lesson on how this actually works. They need to understand about the roots, the soil, the nutrients, and everything else. Here, you also have a chance to talk about photosynthesis and much more.
Second, it’s an outdoor activity in the fresh air, which is something that they definitely lack. Because it’s a physical activity and kids today lead more sedentary lifestyles than before, this will greatly benefit them.
Third, they get to check in on their progress every time they walk or drive past it. This will also serve as a constant reminder that this is an ongoing process and that their work in rejuvenating nature is never really done.
5. Beach or park clean-up
Many young kids litter not because they hate the environment but because they don’t understand how or why this is wrong.
A lot of them won’t even have to tidy up their room; their parents (or cleaners) will do it instead. So, why wouldn’t they just toss it? It’s easier, and someone else will pick it up.
Well, once you give them a lecture on all the harm it does, give them a perspective that it’s their own community that they’re acting against, and show them how hard it is to pick it all up, they might just develop a new appreciation for this.
This might even teach them how to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle in the future.
The best part is when you figure out just how much you can teach them in just one afternoon. Then, it will dawn on you that the only reason why this is a problem is that no one ever took an afternoon for such a project.
You can top it all off with a recycling project. This way, you can show them that all the things that they would litter with can actually become valuable resources used to create something beautiful or interesting. A recycling art project is an especially good idea.
Wrap up
Ultimately, it’s important that you understand how critical this moment is. Here, you’re laying the foundation for the next generation and passing the torch. If you fumble it right now, they might not care about the environment, or they might develop an aversion to any kind of environment-related talk. No pressure! All jokes aside, just pick the fun activity and have someone really passionate guide them through it. Everything else will just fall into place.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.