One of the most fascinating and amazing things to teach children about is our Earth. With 5 oceans, 7 continents, and nearly 8 billion people, planet Earth is one of the most interesting and important things to teach children about.
Children desire to learn more about things they love and have a connection with. One of the best ways kids learn about the Earth is through interacting with it. This interaction can come in a variety of ways. Whether it’s hands-on by dipping their toes in the Atlantic Ocean or catching a fish from a canal. Whether it’s visiting a distant climate through reading a picture book or exploring locations on a globe, interacting with the Earth and its resources can help cultivate a child's care for the planet.
My kids love spending time outside exploring new and exciting things. Sometimes they are climbing a tree or chasing butterflies. Other times they’re foraging through the bushes along our fence line. Their time outdoors is always filled with adventure that sparks their interest to learn more about the world they live and play in. Here are ways you can teach even the youngest of children about planet Earth, its wellbeing and sustainability.
Teach Facts About the Earth with the
Magic Adventures Globe by LeapFrog
One of the coolest resources I’ve come across to help my kids learn about the Earth is the LeapFrog® Magic Adventures GlobeTM. This globe enables kids to explore the world from the comfort of their home with interactive games and immersive high-quality BBC videos.
"Mom, did you know that the Arctic Ocean is Earth's smallest ocean?!" My 5-year-old is always eager to share the exciting facts he's learning about the Earth with his LeapFrog Magic Adventures Globe.
The LeapFrog® Magic Adventures GlobeTM is a wonderful resource for quenching children’s curiosity about the vast world around them. With this globe, children travel the world and see everything in it. In our time using the LeapFrog®Magic Adventures GlobeTM, my children's love of our world has grown tremendously.
The 10" interactive learning globe comes complete with a stylus and a 2.7" integrated video screen. Using the included stylus, kids can tap the interactive globe and learn about new places, languages, cultures, animals, geography, habitats, currency, and more. Children can also tap anywhere on the globe with the stylus to trigger videos and learning game content. The globe features animations and live-action videos that fully immerse kids in curriculum to provide a better understanding of the world through more than 5 hours of videos. They can also play three interactive games including Around the World, Quiz Show, and Where in the World to explore the globe, as well as challenge a friend, and solve mysteries.
Ways to Teach Kids About the Earth's Wellbeing
Small habits can have a big impact! You can help children cultivate small habits that will have a big impact on the health of our Earth in the long term. Teaching young children to be cognizant of how they care for the space around them is one place to begin. Cultivating habits like being mindful of their water usage, placing trash in the appropriate place, and keeping their space clean and tidy are ways of helping young children care for the Earth and its wellbeing. Teaching children to recycle, start a garden, and use sustainable products are also wonderful ways they can learn to help care for our Earth.
Recycle!
Recycling is a very practical way of sustaining the Earth. Familiarize children with how to recycle. They should learn to read the recycling symbols and know what materials are recyclable. Have them sort recyclable items into their appropriate recycling bins. Additionally, encourage children to use their creativity to repurpose and reuse items. For example, that empty pasta jar can be cleaned and repurposed as a pencil holder.
Start a Garden or Plant a Tree
Gardening is a wonderful way to teach children a vital life skill that also helps them to connect with the Earth. It is an effective way to get kids outside and hands-on in the dirt. Radishes, carrots, and herbs are easy foods to start growing with children. Don't have land to plant a garden? No worries. Containers, hanging pots, or hanging baskets are great options for growing fruits and vegetables.
I remember the day my dad planted a palm tree in the front yard of our home. As an adult, I am amazed at how tall and healthy that tree has grown. Consider planting a tree with your children. Document the growth of the tree along with the growth of your children with photos. Not only is this a practical way to help the Earth, but it is also a fun and sentimental lesson about the growth of living things with proper care.
Use Sustainable Products
Share with children the importance of using sustainable or “green” products. These are products that have less impact on the Earth and our environment in their production, use, and disposal. While shopping, you can show children how to spot green products by reading labels and spotting green certifications on product packaging. You may be surprised to learn that an increasing amount of products from body care to toys are now made to be sustainable.
And speaking of green products, we’re really excited about some of the new green electronic learning products LeapFrog and VTech are going to be releasing this fall!
Ashley is a former cop turned homeschooling mom of three from South Florida. She runs The Purposeful Nest blog where she shares resources for homeschool moms and preschool educators.