Earth Day is just around the corner, which means the planet is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
It’s important to teach your kids about the importance of Earth Day because children are the future – if anyone is going to make a difference and invent new ways to protect the Earth, it’s our children.
We can teach them now how to care for Earth and keep it healthy and clean for generations to come. Even the smallest of actions can have a big impact on protecting our planet.
Here are a few easy ways you can help the planet this month and beyond:
Save Energy
Simply turning the lights off in the hallway or when you leave the room can have a huge impact. It can also help reduce carbon emission and other harmful greenhouse gasses. You and your family can take this one step further and unplug any devices from the wall. Most appliances and devices still use energy whether they are on or not! According to the State Department of Energy about 75% of electricity used to power a home is consumed when appliances are turned off. Unplugging power strips, appliances you aren’t using or even phone cords can help conserve energy. Not to mention this will also decrease your electricity bill and who doesn’t love that?
Save Water
There are several ways you and your family can conserve water. While you brush your teeth or wash dishes make sure to turn off the faucet in between. Another way to conserve water is by shortening shower times or not filling the bathtub as high. According to the Parks and Recreation Business study, an American household uses about 138 gallons of water per day. Small acts can make a big impact on this consumption!
Remember To Recycle
The vast majority of packaging for food can be recycled, create a designated bin inside your house for recyclable materials so you can easily put bottles, broken down boxes and other recyclables into a separate bin rather than the trash. Take it one step further and use the recyclable bags that have become much more common at the store. If you forget your bag, ask for a paper bag that can be recycled. This keeps the plastic bags out of landfills!
Clean up a park or forest (or even your neighborhood!)
Nobody likes going for a walk and seeing trash littered over the luscious green grass. So, go for a walk with your family to a field, park, or forest with two bags and some gloves. Clean up any trash you find. Remember to separate what you find into two sections: paper and actual trash. This will help you reinforce recycling habits and also cleans up the planet a little bit.
But Wait… There’s More – An Earth Day Activity For Your Child
This game aims to teach kids about recycling in a fun and engaging way! Download here!
If you’re looking for some additional fun STEAM activities that you could do with your child check out the activities on theyounginventorsclub.com – not only is there a dashboard filled with great activities but every month new blog posts are released with even further content!