Fun Ideas to Help Your Kids Grow Up a Little Greener

There are all kinds of activities that you can do that help your kids appreciate the environment and start to understand ecological responsibility. While it is not necessary to preach doom and gloom of the planet to a 3 year old, introducing the kids to the outdoor world and natural environments is a good place to start.

A simple nature hike can certainly be fun. Adding in some nature eye spy or even a treasure hunt can give you the opportunity to teach many fun based lessons at once. You can expressly tell them not to pick the flowers or pull leaves off the trees while they are hunting for treasure and you can explain why. You can also help them learn to identify the kinds of animals and bugs that live within the ecosystem. You can teach the importance of visiting without leaving any of your various remnants behind.

Even if you live in a city there are usually nature trails that are found within the parks. It's often not hard to find a way to take the kids out of the city, even for just a little while, and show them the natural world. The more exposure they have to responsible visitation the more likely they will be to grow up into adults that respect their planet.

Starting a garden, even an indoor garden, can help as well. If you have the outdoor space you can show your children the natural process of growth and the natural cycle of life. You can even give them their own little section to harvest or to plant and help them learn the responsibilities of caring for the outdoor world while keeping it fun.

Most areas have excellent places to visit. There are usually science buildings, museums, and other local interests that will show your children some of the very cool ways they can help out in their community. Recycling programs for kids, natural crafts, and even camping and hiking groups can help get your kids in touch with a world that they will one day be asked to embrace in the best way they know how.

You don't need a lot of time or to live in a rural area to teach kids fun ways to grow up a little greener. The grass that lines the sidewalk or the garden on the roof of an apartment building is an opportunity to teach them something valuable about the natural world and our role in it.