10 Ways to Teach Kids to Care for the Earth

From what happens to our trash to why we should feed songbirds, there are many opportunities in everyday life to teach our children about how their choices effect the earth.

Children are forming habits and opinions that can last a lifetime, so modeling ways to care for and respect the environment can never start too early. With a little bit of intentionality and discussion, each of these activities can become impactful in how your child understands their place as both grateful recipient and diligent caretaker of the earth’s gifts.

These ideas are written with the pre-k/kindergarten age in mind but can absolutely be adjusted to reach an older or younger child at a level that engages and challenges them. I remember being concerned about a Sesame Street cartoon that showed a fish’s pond drying up as a child left the water running while bushing his teeth. I remember devouring the book 50 Things You Can Do to Save the Earth and pledging money on the Nickelodeon Save the Rainforest telethon. And I remember visiting the Cleveland Zoo’s Rainforest exhibit, watching the “acres of the rainforest destroyed” ticker increasing every few seconds and feeling heartbroken. This all happened before age 8.

There is a lot that can feel overwhelming about our current environmental problems. But don’t underestimate a child’s simultaneous sensitivity to real problems and optimism for how we can solve them. Our collective power in even our smallest choices can add up to make a big difference.

While gardening is an amazing activity to do with your kids, even just digging in the dirt can be so entertaining for little ones.

1. Start a garden

Giving your child the responsibility of plant caretaking will naturally cause them to make careful observations, become perceptive of plants around them, and consider questions of where food comes from and how it grows.

Start simple with herbs and flowers in containers.
If you’re more advanced, dedicate an area of your yard to vegetables that kids will enjoy watching and helping with, such as tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, and more.
If gardening isn’t an option, have you child help you water a houseplant, ideally giving them responsibility to care for the plant.

If you’re new to gardening, learn more about how to plan a garden and what supplies you’ll need.

2. Take nature walks

Nature walks can be amazingly calm opportunities to listen and see things around you in new ways. Even if it’s not a dedicated nature walk, daily outdoor time can be grounding for everyone.

Create a nature scavenger hunt and give each child a bag and print out with what to find.
Use trays or special trinket boxes to display and store your treasures.
Have a snack or bring a picnic lunch to extend your outdoor time and make it extra special.

This is a small sample of reusable kids’ containers and pouches that we use. There’s zero reason to ever use a plastic bag or disposable pouch when you keep enough on hand!

3. Replace disposables with reusables

Life can be busy, rushed, and chaotic, but reusable water bottles, bags, napkins, and containers are just as effective as disposables, without the unnecessary waste. If you’ve been putting off buying reusable items, now is the time to make the switch.

Metal and glass reusable water bottles are ideal. Double-walled BPA-free plastic is another great lightweight alternative.
Pack lunches and snacks in metal, silicone, mesh, and durable plastic containers and sacks.
Replace plastic bags with silicone and waxed bags.
Use cloth napkins. Label napkin holders for each person so you can reuse throughout the day if possible.
Use washcloths instead of paper towels or baby wipes to clean up messy eaters.

4. Conserve water

In simple daily tasks, teach your child that the water only needs to be running when something needs to be rinsed.

While brushing teeth, turn off water between toothbrush rinsing.
Shut off the hose when not in use.
Use timers for gardens and landscape watering.
Install water-saving flushers on your toilets and teach your children how to use them.

It’s amazing the number of things you can compost! Austin has a unique curbside composting program that makes it even easier to compost at home.

5. Recycle and compost

Discuss what happens to the things we use and how we can give them new life by recycling or composting. When you’ve finished using something, discuss how it should be disposed: Is this recycling, compost, something to donate, or something to go in a landfill?

Teach children what can be recycled instead of going into waste.
Teach kids what can and can’t be used for garden compost.
Have them help sort food waste.
Complete the circle by buying items made with recycled materials and point them out to your child.

6. Conserve energy

Teach and model the importance of conserving energy around the house, in ways that we shop, and even in our transportation choices.

Turn off lights when finished.
Turn off toys after they are done.
Install timers on fans, porch lights, and anything that can accidentally be left on.
Don’t leave refrigerator doors open.
Walk or ride bikes for neighborhood outings.
Take public transportation for an adventure on the bus or train.

7. Create out of reused or recycled materials

Whether it’s a telescope, a robot head, or a planter for a seedling, using old materials in new ways will get them thinking about their consumption in thoughtful and even creative ways.

Use paper towel rolls, shipping boxes, and more to create forts, swords, rocket ships, and so much more.
Repurpose old towels or sheets into play materials.
Old clothing can become rags, hankies and costumes.

This second-hand workbench was like-new and is still one of my boys’ favorite toys three years later!

8. Buy second-hand

If you teach kids when they are young that buying everything new can be wasteful and unnecessary, they will appreciate the importance of considering their consumption habits.

Shop at second-hand toy stores for kids’ toys, books, clothing, and shoes.
Frequent the library instead of buying all of your books new.
Take your kids with you to garage sales or thrifting to look for treasures.

Arthur built and painted a birdhouse to hang in the greenbelt behind our house.

9. Take care of wildlife

Humans are the biggest destroyers of wildlife habitats, so it is our responsibility to support native species of birds, beneficial insects, and more to preserve the eco-systems as best we can.

Set up a squirrel-resistant bird feeder and have your child help refill it.
Plant flowers beneficial to butterflies and bees (and these pollinators with help your garden, too). Consider installing small bird baths with mosquito dunks.
Use reflective stickers or hangers to prevent bird strikes on large windows. Unfortunately most crashes are fatal, even if the bird initially flies away.
Avoid toxic lawn, garden, and mosquito treatments. Many of these chemicals are fatal to bees, butterflies, and even birds, so use products that are as natural and safe as possible.

Even very young children can grasp the message of how the earth gives to us in *The Giving Tree*.

10. Read books about the earth

There’s nothing quite like a story to capture a child’s imagination. Read your child books about caring for our earth, how the earth provides for us, and ways that we can make a difference.

Here are some books I recommend:

What ways does your family celebrate and care for the earth? Please share your ideas here!

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