Explore Tide Pools with Your Children This Summer

If you live near a beach, or are vacationing near one this summer, don't miss the chance to explore them with your kids! They are a fun way to experience nature, and a great learning opportunity.

Tide pools present a unique opportunity to see an ocean environment up close and personal.  Their easy accessibility makes them an ideal learning experience for young children, who can explore ocean animals and habitats without having to take them scuba diving.  Here are a few tips and strategies to explore tide pools with your children.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#1.  Learn the tide schedule and go at low tide.  This is important; you won’t have anything to study or explore if the tide is in.  When it goes out, however, little magical wonderlands are left behind.  Make sure you know when to expect the tide to come back in and the predicted weather.  It’d be a shame to become caught in a storm and watch your tide pool wash away before your eyes.

#2.  Use the low tide to explain to your children the gravitational pull of the moon and how it affects our seas.  This can be a complicated concept to understand for little ones, but they can comprehend the basic idea.

#3.  Make sure children are wearing protective shoes.  Water shoes or sandals are a good choice because they move easily when wet, but will still protect a child’s feet from sharp shells and stones. 

#4.  Consider preparing your children for the animals they are likely to encounter.  That way they can be on the lookout or make a scavenger-type hunt out of the trip.  They can look for one of every type of creature on their list.

#5.  Explain the general rules of nature.  Take only pictures; leave only footprints.  Make sure children understand they are witnesses of nature, not shoppers. 

#6.  For older children, encourage them to bring a sketchbook or a camera to document the wildlife they view. 

Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, & Sea Anemones in Tide pool. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#7.  Use a tide pool to teach children about how animals survive.  Show them animals that have weapons, animals that use camouflage, and animals with exoskeletons to protect them.

#8.  Make sure everyone, parents included, is wearing sunscreen or long clothing to avoid sunburn - particularly on sunny days.

#9.  Make sure children, and adults, use caution when reaching into the tide pools to retrieve a creature.  Additionally, make sure each creature is put back where it was found.

#10.  Consider taking a pair of gloves and a small net so you can easily retrieve life, coral, shells and other items from the tide pool without risk of injury to yourself or to the environment.

Tide pools offer a wealth of learning opportunity and they’re fun to explore.  Children will have a wonderful time exploring these small worlds and learning about the ocean, and parents can enjoy a fun family outing while sharing this learning experience.

5 Fun Earth Day Craft Ideas for the Whole Family

Earth Day is a day the entire family can enjoy together. You can use this day to teach your children about caring for the earth. Consider also spending time together doing some Earth Day crafts - these are fun for the kids, and a great educational opportunity as well. Here are a few ideas to consider.

nature journal sycamore tree (Photo credit: jimmiehomeschoolmom)#1 Nature Hike/Art Project

Go on a hike and have each person in the family pick up five to ten nature items. For example, they might pick up a leaf or a flower petal. Have them take along a bag so they can collect their things. Take them home and make a collage. You can use the collage to create placemats, wall art, or even a desk pad or mouse pad.
You’ll Need: laminate sheets, construction paper, scissors, clear glue or hot glue and other items on hand.

Get creative and have fun!

#2 Tie Dye Party

Tie dying is fun and interesting for kids. And when you use natural food dyes it becomes an earth friendly activity. If you want to add a little education to the project, talk with your children about why you chose to use natural dye instead of chemical dye. Discuss how chemicals harm the planet. You can use carrots, beets, berries, turmeric and other natural items to create the dye.

#3 Make Stuffed Animals

Using materials found around your home create stuffed animals. For example a black sock can be used to create a penguin’s body. Cut out white t-shirt material and glue or sew it on for the belly. A few buttons for eyes. A felt or foam triangle for the beak and feet.

Kids and adults can make fun monster animals too. You can use old corduroy skirts or pants for the bodies. Buttons, ribbons and fiberfill take care of the rest. Each monster can be unique. Because you’re using items already in your home you can talk with your children about why repurposing and reusing items is good for the planet. If you want, you can focus on endangered animals, for an additional teaching opportunity.

Tie Dye (Photo credit: deborah.soltesz)#4 Create Bracelets or Cuffs

Cuffs are trendy right now and old wool sweaters can make beautiful cuffs. With old buttons, flowers and embellishments your children can have a lot of fun with this craft. And you can too! In order to make the old wool sweaters work for this project you’ll want to “Felt” them. This means you shrink them until the wool is thick so it won’t unravel (this can be done by washing them in the washing machine using hot water, then spread flat and let dry - or you can even dry them in the dryer on a low-heat or delicate setting). Then simply cut the wool to size. Fit it to your wrist. Fasten with Velcro, buttons or even sew it closed. Add embellishments and you have a lovely cuff.

#5 Tin Can Gardening

If you’re a gardening family then start collecting tin cans. This is a recycling project and a gardening project in one. Decide how you want to decorate the outside of the can. You may create your own labels using a computer or you can draw or paint them. Painting works well because you don’t have to worry about water ruining any paper decorations. If you’re going to paint the cans consider using a primer like Gesso beforehand so the paint will adhere well to the can. You can also decorate with stickers.

Punch a few holes in the bottom of the clean can for drainage before you decorate the outside. Place a few rocks on the bottom of the can. Then fill the can with potting soil and plant seeds or seedlings. Place in a sunny location. Your children can watch their plants grow. Note: If you each plant a different herb you can have a windowsill herb garden, and then your kids can even see how these herbs can be used in cooking - for yet another educational moment!

Take the age and attention span of your children into account before choosing a craft. Earth Day is a day that can be both fun and educational. Help your children learn about caring for the earth in a fun way they’ll remember.

Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids about the Importance of Earth Day

Earth Day is a great opportunity to educate. It provides a very unique chance to share the importance of protecting our planet, from air and water, to plants and species of animals. With a few simple lessons and experiences you can help your children learn to value the earth too. When I was a kid, we went to an annual Earth Day celebration with live music, food, dancing, earth-friendly crafts, and lots of folks from many different communities came together to celebrate. It was so much fun - I looked forward to it every year. Use this celebration to make an impact on future generations!

Earth (Photo credit: tonynetone)5 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids About the Importance of Earth Day

#1 Head to Your Local Science Museum

Take your children to a science museum for the day. Many science museums offer special celebrations, exhibits and even pricing on Earth Day. It’s a great way for the entire family to get out together and do something fun and educational. And children will be able to engage with the exhibits and learn a variety of things about the earth.

#2 Plant Stuff!

Earth Day (typically April 20th or 22nd) is right in the midst of planting season in most areas of the U.S. Your children can learn about the importance of Earth Day by getting their hands dirty. Plant a tree. Plant a vegetable or herb garden. Or consider planting flowers. Use compost, organic fertilizers and natural materials to nourish and landscape your garden. The planting teaches children about what the earth can provide. Using organic and natural gardening materials provides you with an opportunity to discuss chemicals, toxins, and other things people do to harm the earth, and how you can successfully avoid them in your own garden.

#3 Take Your Children to A Landfill or Recycling Center (Or Both)

Landfills are depressing places. However, the experience of visiting a landfill will undoubtedly leave a profound impact on your children. You may find when you return home that they become vigilant about reducing, reusing and recycling. Speaking of recycling, ask if your local recycling center offers tours. Children can learn about the importance of recycling and what a difference it can make.

Cover of Lorax#4 Read Stories With Earth-Friendly Messages
If you have young children then the importance of Earth Day can be communicated in a fun way through stories. For example, The Lorax by Dr Seuss offers a profound message. There are many Earth Day books to choose from, and of course you can make up your own stories as well! You might also combine reading a book with a planet-friendly message with watching The Planet Earth DVDs - especially if you have older kids.

#5 Visit Your Water Treatment Plant

Visiting the water treatment plant provides you with an opportunity to teach your children about conserving water. If the trip isn’t a possibility consider an experiment with water. For example, grab four clean glass jars and fill them with water from four different sources. A river, a pond, your tap etc…

Label each jar. Using a coffee filter, run each jar’s water through a different filter. Make sure you keep the filters organized so you know which type of water you’re looking at. Using a magnifying glass your children can examine the particles left in each filter. It’s an opportunity to discuss pollutants and have your child see firsthand what is in our water supply.

Earth Day presents many opportunities to educate your children about caring for our planet. Choose activities that you believe will resonate with them. Make sure they’re age appropriate. And above all make them fun! If learning about Earth Day is a chore, they won’t enjoy the experience or the message. If it’s fun, the message has more impact.

Fun Earth Day Resources For Kids:
     

How to Teach Your Kids to be Eco-Conscious

Teaching children to be eco-conscious is important. It helps them develop an appreciation for the planet they live on, and when children are eco-conscious, they grow up to become responsible adults. The good news is that teaching your kids to be eco-conscious is fun!

Seven Tips On Teaching Your Kids to Be Eco-Conscious

Colorful Recycling Containers for Trash (Photo credit: epSos.de)#1 Be a good role model. This is perhaps the easiest way to teach your children about the impact of their actions on the environment. Children pay attention to what you do. If you recycle, reuse and pay attention to how you consume, your children will grow up with that example.

#2 Discuss often. Look for learning moments to discuss why you are eco-conscious. For example, when you’re shopping you might choose to purchase an item at a flea market. Explain to your child why you’re buying used instead of new.

#3 Help them explore nature. Nature is what you’re trying to preserve and protect. If your child doesn’t get out and enjoy nature, they won’t have an appreciation for the earth. Take nature hikes. Enjoy the beach. Head to the mountains or take bike rides. Just get some fresh air and sunshine - it's good for their health, and yours too!

Image via Wikipedia#4 Take field trips. Some recycling centers, landfills and water treatment plants offer tours. Check out your local facilities. What educational experiences are available? If they don’t commonly offer tours, consider visiting them on Earth Day. Show your children what happens to our trash and waste water. Help them learn the cycle of consumption. It’ll help them appreciate what they use.

#5 Garden. Gardening is a wonderful way to appreciate and experience the earth. If you don’t have space outside you can create a windowsill herb garden. Use recycled, reused and organic material to create your garden. For example, tin cans to plant your herb seeds in. Compost to fertilize the soil. Rainwater to water the plants. (Visit our Sustainable Gardening blog for more tips on gardening sustainably, even in a small space.)

#6 Make it a game. Show your children how much water or electricity you use each month. Make it a game to lower your consumption. Turn off the lights when they’re not in use. Use water sparingly. Turn off all appliances. See how much you can reduce your electric, gas or water bill during the month. Then reward children for their efforts.

#7 Volunteer. Become active in outdoor clean ups. If your community has a “clean up the park” day, sign the family up. Volunteer at your recycling center. Or assist the recycling program at community events. For example, many running events have recycling volunteers to make sure all those paper cups from the aid stations end up in the recycling bin rather than the street or the garbage. Show your children that the Earth is important and enlist their help in keeping it clean.

Happy Children Playing Kids (Photo credit: epSos.de)And most importantly, follow through on your words. If you tell your children that being environmentally conscious is important to you then follow it up with rules. Limit television viewing time. Ask them to turn off the lights. Make sure they don’t take forty-minute showers. Create a recycling center in your home. When it comes to teaching children, follow through is important, and learning these things early will benefit both them and the planet in the long run.

Nature – The Ultimate Playground for Kids

Every year parents spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on toys and activities for their kids. While many of these things are great for keeping young minds and bodies active, many of them are unnecessary. Sure kids need structured play, but they also need “free” play and this is easy to do when the world’s largest playground is right outside your back door. Why not let them play outside?

Image via WikipediaEvery toy, book, and TV show that comes out has been designed and redesigned several times in order to make it educational and entertaining for children.  The great thing about nature is that, while being entertaining and stimulating to the imagination, it’s also educational. Nature can teach children the basics of science, economics, and creativity.

Plus - if offers all of these benefits:

1. It’s cheap. Depending on where you live, exploring nature is usually pretty inexpensive, if not free. It may mean going out in your backyard, local park, or perhaps going to the local nature center or state park (which usually have low cost fees or memberships). This way, you don’t have to pay for expensive toys, jungle gyms, or memberships to expensive entertainment centers, but you still get the benefit of stimulating and educational play.

2. It makes them think. Lately there’s been a trend in education towards inquiry based learning. Researchers have found that if students explore and experiment to figure out answers on their own, they’re going to learn better, and retain more information. It also helps them develop skills to be able to learn things on their own later. What better environment to learn things than out in nature.  There are lessons for kids of all ages to discover about the world around them. 

3. It may help the world. Everyone these days is trying to be more green and more environmentally conscious. What better way to help do your part than to get your children interested in their own planet right now when they’re young and impressionable? And who knows - what might be a fun time for them now, could turn into a future hobby, career, or world saving invention! 

4. It’s fun. While it’s easy to forget in our fast-paced, homework-filled modern society, childhood isn’t just for learning about how to be an adult, it’s also about having fun. Nature gives kids a chance to use their imagination and be free to just be kids.

Image via WikipediaWhile unstructured play outside is great for kids, you can also find a lot of places offering structured classes and learning sessions for kids that focus on the natural world. Check your local park, zoo, or museum. There’s a good chance they have classes you can sign up for, and since many of these places are not for profit, they’re usually affordable as well as informative. 

Why not embrace the opportunities during this lovely summer, and get outside to play? Spending time in the outside world is so important for developing minds, and it can also be a great escape for you as well.

Related Articles on Nature and Fun:

• Green Jungle Gyms - The Nature Energy Park Teaches Children About Renewable Energy (TrendHunter.com) (trendhunter.com)
• Frugal Fun - Nature Centers (frugalupstate.com)
• The Wonders of Nature (ministerioinfantilusa.com)

Recycling and Today's Teens

Recycling has been around longer than any of today's young teens have been alive and maybe that's why it has never been a question for them as to whether or not they should recycle but has always been more of a "How else can we help when recycling," kind of thought process.   The previous generation, having grown up in the 70's has a different mind-set.  In fact, I have to remind myself the reasons we recycle, when to recycle and how to keep my family and household up-to-date and aware of the reasons to recycle.

Image via WikipediaThis new, younger generation, is an impressive one, to me.  They seem to be more aware of humanity on a global level.  Lessons they've been taught in school on a consistent basis have always had a common theme; take care of the Earth or we may lose it.  They are keenly aware of how wasteful prior generations have been and seem to be of one mind when it comes to solving those problems.

When we recycle we are taking a step away from ourselves and begin to think about the Earth as a whole.  It has become obvious to us that by recycling our waste we are going to be leaving less waste for future generations to have to deal with and we are taking an active step in keeping the planet 'around' for a longer period of time.

Today's teens have inspired me by their dedication to helping others who have less than they do and how wasting any commodity or resource we may have, the idea of wasting it is simply not an option.  They are forever coming up with new ways to reduce production of an item or they are constantly thinking up ways in which the item can be reused; they do this without needing to "think" about it, it's the only way of life they've known.

Image by sierraromeo [sarah-ji] via FlickrThere is an organization that has taken something many of us take for granted and figured out a way to pass on to those who are unable - to feel a little normal.  Locks of Love takes hair donated by people and has that hair made into wigs for people who have had their hair fall out due to chemotherapy treatments or as the result of another disease or condition.  How brilliant to think of those of us who grow our hair without thought or effort, to be able to have the privilege of helping another!  It's beautiful to me, how this new generation is always thinking about how they can help others.
   
There are two teens that I know of who took this idea of growing their hair in order to donate it, and dedicated this past summer to doing just that; and the week before school opened in September, sat together and had their hair cut.  What is remarkable about these two teens is that only one is a girl, the other, a young man knew there was a need for other boys his age to have wigs made for them and took on the challenge valiantly.   Boys don't have to have their hair quite as long in order to donate it, but it does have to be grown-out.  My awe at teens like these two, who at such a volatile age, where self-image is so very fragile, would step out of their comfort zones of following the crowd, in order to do grow their hair long enough for it to be recycled and reused by others, is overwhelming.  By stepping out of those comfort zones they leave themselves in a vulnerable situation, where they can become the targets for some of the ridicule that goes on in Middle school; and yet they still do it.

Maybe they are less likely to go against the idea of recycling because of the timing of their birthdates; it's just refreshing to know that the idea of recycling is strong in this up coming generation and if we continue to foster that innate responsibility in them, we may just keep this planet around a little longer.