How children learn about nature, their ability to understand environmental challenges and solutions, and their reactions to hearing and learning about environmental problems, all depend on a number of factors, including:
Their age, temperament and stage of development
Their sense of security
Their parents' feelings/reactions to environmental problems
How exposed they have been to media coverage of environmental problems/natural disasters
How exposed they have been to adult discussions of threats of climate change
How adequately they have been able to discuss their feelings about their world,and how well adults have been able to listen to those feelings
The influence of their peer group - how their friends and the people they identify with are responding to environmental issues
Their knowledge about environmental issues.
Each of the steps for teaching children about the environment in this booklet has been divided into different sections corresponding to varying ages of children. You can read tips for how to talk with your preschooler, primary school-aged children, or adolescents.
Steps for teaching children about the environment
The following information provides ways to guide children's curiosity and enthusiasm for the natural world, help them to understand environmental problems, deal with their concerns, and get interested and busy with solutions.
Provide your child with time to spend in nature
Preschoolers
Young children need opportunities to explore nature and form a bond with it. They need chances to touch and feel and look and smell. If you live in a city, there are still many ways in which you can help your child experience nature. Even the changing weather and seasons can offer an opportunity for parents to help young children develop a sense of wonder for the natural environment.
Have picnics in a botanic garden or local park.
Buy some seeds and watch them grow in a pot on the windowsill.
Give your children a little plot in the garden to care for.
Begin a worm farm in the garden or start a compost heap.
Primary school-aged children
Children's curiosity with the natural world and unique way of knowing requires discovery and exploratory learning, rather than too much talking about theories.
Try nature experiments, such as watching tadpoles grow (check legislation in your state if wanting to keep at home), or building ant farms in a large glass jar.Grow vegetables - choose easy ones for
success.
Let them do artwork that uses nature, such as making pictures with leaves, drying flowers, or building sculptures out of sticks and twigs.
Buy a rain gauge from the hardware store and help children plot the rainfall each week/month.
Adolescents
Encourage your adolescent to spend time outdoors doing activities he or she likes, such as riding a bike, skiing, or canoeing.
Suggest they join ‘Friends' groups and other local community environmental groups to foster environmentally responsible behaviour, positive action and friendships.
Have a family holiday in a natural environment.
Spend time together doing activities that can be either challenging or relaxing.
Help your children find something positive to do for the environment
You can encourage your children to take action and believe they can make a difference to the environment with even the smallest actions. Children can also learn a lot by watching parents doing positive things for the environment.
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