Do you sometimes feel guilty whenever you bring out your household’s garbage? Well, I do. Since I became a mom, getting rid of trash at home has been one of my duties. Keeping our home clean means throwing away many unnecessary things. And whenever I see so much stuff ending up in the black garbage, I can’t help but think that this will add up to the world’s collection of garbage. 😱

This post isn’t about decluttering though. I’ll save that for another post. But ever since I became more conscious about how our little family’s trash contributes to pollution, I’ve yearned to do my share of “environmental stewardship” by teaching my child the importance of taking care of the environment. We, parents, have a big role in shaping our future environmental advocates.  If the generation of our children will become more conscious of their role as stewards of the planet Earth, there’s hope for a sustainable future.

But how do we make learning about environmental stewardship fun and easy for the little ones? Here are some suggestions on how to teach children to take care of the environment in the simplest and most enjoyable way possible:

Let them experience the great outdoors

The best way to teach someone to take care of something is to make them realize its value.  If children see how precious the environment is to them, the desire to protect the planet will come naturally. So let’s take our kids outdoors to experience nature’s magnificence. Go to nature parks. Visit the province and let them play in the field. Have a family beach getaway. Make them do a scavenger hunt in the garden.  These trips to nature will expose them to plants, flowers, trees, insects, and animals. It’s the best way to introduce the value of protecting the environment.

Bring them to a farm destination

Nowadays, we’re lucky that there are so many kid-friendly farms open to the public. Let’s make the most of it and spend a weekend with kids in an agri-tourism adventure. On a farm, children can ride a horse, feed chickens or fish, breathe in the fresh air, run freely, and connect with nature.

Teach them to reuse and recycle

Teaching kids to how to turn trash into something new is a good way to start them young at recycling. I tried this with my daughter, and I was surprised at how creative she was in turning old boxes into a doll house or used papers into her DIY paper doll. Collect your old stuff and give it to your little one as art materials and be surprised by what they can do with it.

Create art projects together using materials from nature

Make fun and memorable memories by creating beautiful art projects using materials such as pebbles, dried leaves, flowers, and twigs. You may also use materials such as paper towel rolls, empty tissue boxes, and used tetra packs for your craft making. Instead of throwing them in the trash bin, let your kids squeeze their creativity to turn these materials into pretty artworks.

Enjoy gardening together

Bring out the plantita or plantito in you, and bond with your little one through gardening. Let them help you plant flowers, plants, or trees in your garden or in planters. Teaching kids how plants grow is a good way to make them realize the value of protecting nature.

Let them know how they can be stewards of the environment

Children like being involved and having responsibility.  Let them know how, even at an early age, they can already contribute to saving and taking care of our planet.  Start by teaching them to develop good habits such as turning the lights out when they leave a room or conserving water when they brush their teeth. Teach them about how these actions can help protect our planet and their favorite things in nature, such as their favorite beach or favorite animals.

Read children’s books that teach about environmental stewardship

Reading books together can also be a fun way to teach a child how to protect nature. In your storytelling time, include titles that have an environmental theme.

Here’s my recommended children’s book about environmental issues—The Perfect Tree.

The book tells a story of a village’s desire to create the perfect tree, painting an image of how people destroy and care for the environment around them at the end. Through this book, kids are introduced to pressing environmental issues and become aware of how to protect and conserve the environment.

What’s great about The Perfect Tree book is that it has a lively story and colorful illustrations that will surely capture a child’s attention, with meaningful lessons that will help them develop an appreciation for environmental conservation. With easy-to-read fonts, this book talks about how kids can take care of trees and nature around them. At the end of the book, children will find interesting tips and facts. The book only costs Php250.00. You may order online at https://forms.gle/mLLx29rWEfj3njfC6 or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQN9F25S.

These are just some of the activities we can do with our kids that will hopefully raise them to be environmental stewards. Enjoy raising little environmental stewards!