Earth Day is just a few days away, so now is a perfect time to talk about eco-friendly ideas and practices with your kids. Here are 5 great activities and conversations to have about conversations in honor of Earth Day 2018.
Use Carpooling to Talk About Emissions
If you’re already setting up carpools for your kids with GoKid, now is a great time to highlight how carpooling isn’t just convenient, it’s actually good for the environment, too. According to these statistics, if you carpool just twice a week, you could prevent 1,600 pounds of greenhouse gases from being released into the air each year. This has significant implications when you consider the effect that car emissions have on global warming.
Talk About Recycling and Have Kids Participate
Talk with your kids about the importance of recycling, and how it can help to minimize our impact on the environment. The World Counts has some great facts on recycling that can help to shape your discussion. Once you’ve talked about recycling, set up a recycling system in your home if you don’t have one already. Have kids get involved in sorting recyclables, then have them go with you to the recycling center so they see where those items end up.
But in addition to getting your kids excited about recycling, you’ll also want to talk about conservation practices, too. Show kids how using reusable water bottles can help to cut down on your plastic use, and be sure to bring reusable shopping bags to the grocery store with you so you don’t have to rely on plastic bags.
Invest in Solar or Wind Powered Kits to Build Together
You can talk to your kids about solar and wind power, but your lesson will be much more long-lasting if you can physically show them ways to harness the power of the sun and the wind. There are many different kid-friendly solar and wind-powered kits available that you and your kids can assemble together. Here are some great solar science kits just for kids, and this wind turbine is designed for kids to assemble right at home.
Foster a Love of Nature
The more that kids love nature, the more dedicated they’ll be to helping to preserve the world. To foster a love of nature in your kids, be sure to schedule some outdoor outings to the forest, to local nature reserves and parks, and even to the zoo to see all of the animals (and their habits) that are affected by climate change and conservation efforts.
Lead By Example
Remember, you’re a powerful role model for your kids, so leading by example is one of the best ways that you can teach them to care about conservation, recycling, and eco-friendly practices. By making eco-friendly choices in how you shop, live, and travel, you can set a great example that your kids will want to replicate not only on Earth Day, but every day.
Caring for our planet and making it a better place are ideas that are close to our hearts here at GoKid. We’re so glad that our app can help to reduce emissions by making it easy to set up carpools for kids. If you don’t yet have GoKid, please download it in celebration of Earth Day 2018.
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