Teach your children well

What can you do this summer to work on earth studies and natural parenting?

*Talk about recycling and head to a local landfill and recycling center for a field trip! Many waste authorities in large and small cities offer education to the community on recycling and Eco practices if you simply inquire. Check out what yr city offers and you may be surprised. My city has a re-art program that allows the community for a small yearly fee to come to a large warehouse and take all the donated art and paper materials they can use for the year! It is amazing! Large and small companies donate amazing items that would have gone to rubbish otherwise!

*Have a simple recycling center in your home and let even the youngest place items in the bins. Label bins with pictures and word and encourage your children to recycle each day. Expand into simple math and literacy lessons with the recycling bin! Make games about recycling and quickly you will see yr children teaching others!

*Make crafts and art fun for your children from the recycling bin and pantry. Kids love to make crafts and a trip to the art store is not necessary when you can create loads of cool art from trash and things already in the home. Check out the Crafty Crow for amazing recycled art activities.

*Try out backyard or kitchen composting. For a load of fun and science try vermacomposting! WORMS! (We do it and it is a blast!)

During the summer it is easier to get out in the world with wee ones and do more than talk about the earth! You can let them experience Mother Nature in a tactile way. Nature walks and plenty of exploration about how we can love our earth. The greening of a family can start slowly with simple deliberate actions. We need to teach our children to love nature and the earth before they can completely understand why it is that we need to be natural and green. Children need the outdoors and the wonder of nature. What will you do this summer with yr family to instill good lessons of earth love?

by Amy Turn Sharp of Little Alouette and Doobleh-vay.