Make Them Aware of the Problem
First, you have to make your kids aware of the problem. Depending on your kids’ ages, you may or may not have to explain climate change. For instance, if your kids are already following science standards in school, then they have likely already started covering climate change. However, if your kids are younger, it is up to you to teach them about climate change using age-appropriate vocabulary and real-life examples. NASA Climate Kids is a great way to introduce the topic to even the littlest learners.
Get Outdoors
Possibly the most effective way to get your kids to embrace the climate change movement is to instill a love of nature. How do you do this? To put it simply, you get outdoors! Kids who spend time playing outside and exploring in nature have a greater appreciation for it.
Watch Reputable Films
There are several educational films about climate change that are designed to teach children of all ages. Young kids can be introduced to climate change issues from animated films like Happy Feet, whereas older kids may be ready for documentaries such as An Inconvenient Truth. Check out Common Sense Media’s Movies That Teach Kids About Climate Change and PBS’s 17 Films about Sustainability and Climate Change.
Embrace Positive Habits
As a household, try your best to embrace habits that are good for the environment. For instance, teach kids not to leave the water running or the lights on and explain why these things matter. If your family recycles regularly, your kids will grow up recycling as well. Start by calculating your household’s carbon footprint. Likewise, as a family, do all you can to reduce your carbon footprint, such as carpooling. GoKid is proud of the way we are helping families in this way – GoKid families have already saved 5M pounds of CO2!
Volunteer as a Family
Look for opportunities to volunteer on eco-friendly projects together. Spend an afternoon cleaning up litter from a park or stream. Work together to plant trees or build a community garden. Dedicate some of your time to helping at a local farm.
Encourage them to be Young Activists
Finally, encourage some positive peer pressure. Green clubs and student organizations are popping up at schools all across America. Encourage your kid to join their school’s club or to create one of their own! Climate Generation offers several youth action ideas to help young people become climate change activists in their communities.
Here are some of the responses of tried-and-true ways to get kids involved that we received from other earth-friendly mom bloggers
Firstly, they need to understand what it is all about. I’ve found watching Blue Planet together has been fantastic for this; providing a great springboard for discussion.
Then it’s important for parents and schools to work in tandem on this. My daughters’ schools take part in the Golden Boot Challenge, where they are encouraged to go to school in a ‘green’ way such as walking, scooting, riding, parking & striding, etc. Again, this prompts plenty of discussions.
Also, get them involved in recycling. My children are always keen to sort items and also upcycle. Always get them to understand the aims of a project and make sure that they’re actively involved. This helps get them on board and actually enjoy doing their bit for the planet.
@THEPARENTSOCIAL
I do have a post about hands-on ways to help kids care about the environment. My biggest tip is just to talk to kids and make them aware of what is happening to our planet and the small ways we can help each day. It can also be very fun and a bonding experience as a family to pick up trash, donate unused items, visit a recycling center, or find creative ways to reuse objects.
@EXPDOMESTICITY
My kids already tell their schoolmates to eat less meat and walk more instead of taking the car for short distances (even in the rain).
@SHARPE_NOELLE
I would say kids should be encouraged to recycle and to walk as much as possible. Car-pooling is a great idea too!
