Green Activities for Kids

Children play an important part in safeguarding the environment for future generations. Just as local businesses impact local communities as well as the international community so too can kids impact the earth. Their actions can have an impact at home, in school, in their local community, and worldwide.

School's out for the summer, but it does not mean that educational activities have to stop. There are a lot of great green activities that you can introduce to your child.

Observing the Great Outdoors!

One great activity for kids and parents is to take a walk on the beach, in the woods, or in a park.

•     Needed Materials

        Recyclable bag, Paint, Crayons, Glue, Scissors, Smock, Pen or paper, Construction paper, Ruler, and a Large sheet of paper

•     Needed Skills

        Communication, observation, and motor skills

•     Grade Level

        This activity is great for younger kids and can be completed by those as young as K-1st grade and lower ages.

•     Before you go, have your child think of all the things you might see on your walk. Make a chart listing items you might see as the headings, using the ruler to draw lines in between items.

•     Take your recyclable bag with you on your walk and make it a scavenger hunt, placing all found items in the bag. Try to find everything on the chart. Remember to only take items that are on the ground or dead. Use this as an opportunity to get your child talking about nature and making observations, about colors, textures, smells, etc.

•     Once you get back home have your child lay out everything they found. Get your child to place everything into categories (for instance rocks, sticks, leaves, etc.) these should match the items on the chart. Ask for observations on the things they found. Have children place at least one of the items you found underneath each item on the chart you've started.

•     With the rest of the items have your child create an artwork that depicts the environment you explored.

•     Let it dry and prominently display their work.

•     Recycle the items after you are finished with them.

•     You can also schedule a field trip to a nature museum to reinforce what your child has learned.

Get up, get out, and get environmental!

Read a book in the backyard, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. My child and I love this book. He loves it because he likes Dr. Seuss and I love it because it teaches about the perils of not taking care of the environment.

•     Needed Materials

        The Lorax and a comfortable place to sit.

•     Needed Skills

        Communication, reading, observation, problem solving, and storytelling

•     Grade Level

        This activity is great for younger kids in 2nd or 3rd grade as well as lower ages.

•     Go in the backyard and find a comfortable place in the shade for you and your child to sit and read.

•     Take turns reading from The Lorax.

•     Ask questions about the story and ask for observations. Some sample questions may be:

        - Why did the Once-ler use all the Truffula trees?
        - Why wouldn't the Once-ler listen to the Lorax?
        - What are ways that thneeds could be made without destroying the Truffula trees?
        - What are thneeds that we have such as clothes)?
        - How can we consume less thneeds (buy recycled goods, etc.)?

•     Have your child rewrite The Lorax and come up with an alternative ending in which the Truffula trees are saved.

Get Trashy!
Create trash art.

•     Needed Materials

        Construction paper, glue, tape, scissors, old magazines, markers or crayons, paint, glitter, and clean trash that can be made into art.

•     Needed Skills

        Motor skills, communication, and creativity

•     Grade Level

        This activity is great for younger kids in 2nd or 3rd grade as well as lower ages.

•     Look around the house for items that can be recycled to make art (like empty jelly jars or shoe boxes).

•     Have your child create a sculpture or whatever type of work of art they want.

•     Have your child make observations about the type of materials they used and whether they can be recycled. Ask what else they use in their daily lives that can be recycled.

•     Make observations about your child's creation and have them explain it to you.

•     Let it dry and prominently display the artwork.

•     When you are finished with the artwork recycle whatever you can.