When I was growing up, there were no litter laws. It's so hard to believe that people would/could drive down the highway, roll down a window and toss a bag of trash out. It was nothing to see trash on the shoulders of the roads. I know, unbelievable! I can't get my head around that now.Today is Earth Day or so I have read. Funny, Dr. Seuss Day got more coverage than Earth Day. I will grant you on the surface Dr. Seuss Day or Chocolate Day may seem more fun than Earth Day but which will have more pay off? I know Dr. Seuss Day will instill a love of reading...maybe or maybe it will just be fun to read those books and move on. Earth Day, though will bring an awareness to our youngest that we need to take care of the earth.
Earth Day is in Spring and what better time to talk about how plants grow? That discussion leads to what plants need and water.....and maybe we should stop wasting it. We take walks in the Spring, notice the litter and how it impacts the animals around us.
Teaching our youngest ways to take care of our natural resources will last forever. Like any habit, those that are instilled at a young age typically carry on into adulthood.
There are simple things you can do without lecturing. We do waste water, every day. Teach your child to turn off the water while brushing his/her teeth. Don't just let the water run in the drain when washing hands or dishes. Don't fill the tub all the way up to the top. When doing these things, just say, We are saving water. We don't want to waste it. If you have left over water in a glass don't pour it out, pour it on a plant. While we are talking about water....buy your child a reusable water bottle. Let's stop buying all the disposable water bottles. Just explain to your child why.
How hard is it to cut the plastic 6 pack thing part. You know, the plastic thing that holds the soft drink cans in place. Did you know birds get their beaks/head stuck in them and die. So before you throw it away, simply cut it apart so there are no complete circles. Tell your child why you are doing it.
I am guilty of taking my grandchildren to feed the ducks at a local lake. We take our bread and throw it out to them. It is always great fun. Recently I read that feeding bread to ducks is actually not good for them. Fun for us but harmful to the ducks. From now on we will either take corn or just watch.
Most cities have recycling programs. While this can be overwhelming, basic recycling is not hard. Young children can learn to separate things. We call that sorting! It's actually a math skill.
In our quest for convenience we use things that are not always the best for our earth. Buy a set of plastic plates and cups for the picnics instead of paper plates and cups. Talk to your child about landfills and how long it takes for things to break down.
Here are some great Earth Day books...you can read them any day really!
Jimmy's Gone Green!- Kathy Cane
The Curious Garden - Peter Brown
It's Earth Day - Mercer Mayer
Adventures of a Plastic Bottle-Allison Inches
Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment- Linda Schwartz
I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- Allison Inches
The Green Mother Goose: Saving the World One Rhyme at a Time- David Davis and Jan Peck This takes traditional nursery rhymes and gives them an eco friendly theme.
Recycle- Gail Gibbons
Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth- Mary McKenna Siddals
The Great Kapok Tree- Lynne Cherry
The Lorax -Dr. Seuss
And for those of you who love the Pinkalicious books check out Emeraldalicious by Victoria Kann
Apple cores, bananas bruised, coffee grounds and filters used might all go into compost stew!
