I have gotten some great questions on how to involve and teach children about sustainability. While I am in no way an expert, living sustainably is woven into the fabric of how we go about our days and a frequent topic of conversation/questions with my kids (ages 3 and 5). I’m excited to share where we are at right now, recognizing that we grow all the time and still have so much to learn! Disclaimer: this is what works for us. Feel free to take what is helpful and leave the rest. Here’s how things go in our home:
Daily Rhythms
One of the best teachers I’ve found is participation. Lessons in sustainability come about very naturally in everyday tasks. Whether we’re taking care of our home, preparing food, mending clothes, going to the recycling center, thrifting, gardening, or buying groceries – the kids learn by observing. I follow where their natural curiosity leads them, and we have great conversations when they ask me why we chose one thing over another. Sometimes I have to do a little research to give a better answer, so I learn more too!
Here are some examples of the things we’ve talked about recently:
- Why do we put our scraps in the compost and how do the worms and beneficial bacteria turn it into nutrients for our garden?
- Why do we make our own yogurt now instead of buying the (plastic) containers we used to?
- Where does electricity come from? (conversation about fossil fuels)
- Why does car exhaust smell so bad? (conversation about emissions)
- What happens to the things we bring to the recycling center?
Other lessons are not directly talked about, but learned along the way. They are learning how to cook, garden, and care for living things (chickens & their little house plants for now). They are (hopefully) learning a way of life that doesn’t focuses on brands, money, and possessions as determiners of worth. Instead, they find just as much joy in a new-to-them thrifted bike, a trip to the library, family picnics, and time with friends. In some ways our life is very simple right now, but I don’t feel at all like we lack for anything. (They are some of the most privileged kids out there). I hope they grow up knowing that loving people well, seeking justice, and doing everything we can to be responsible and kind in our choices/actions is what truly matters.
Information
When selecting books and other media to inform our journey, I’m careful about content that uses fear and shame as its main drive. I really like to focus on information that invites joyful participation in caring for the earth, rather than anxiety about how much humanity has screwed things up. It’s just a bit much for a young child, ya know? (Truth be told, it can feel burdensome to me sometimes too!)
- A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry A beautiful, historical narrative about the destruction and restoration of the Nashua River in Massachusetts. Descendants of Native Americans and European settlers unite to fight the pollution and restore the river.
- Two Old Potatoes and Me by John Coy A girl and her dad bond over the magic of turning gross old potatoes into something new.
- Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha “One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages. From Athena to Alexander the Great and from Egypt to Ethiopia, Bees explores different methods of beekeeping and uncovers the debt that humans owe this vital species. With beautifully accessible illustrations depicting everything from bee anatomy to the essentials of honey making, readers will be captivated by the endless wonders of this seemingly small speck of the animal kingdom.”
- The PBS kids app has many shows about recycling, caring for the earth, and thinking about our impact.
- We also love nature documentaries!
I’ll leave it there for now. But be sure to check out your local library! Any book that invites children to explore the beauty of nature, how our world works, how to garden, how to care for animals, stories of unity and diversity — these are all wonderful jumping off points.
What are some of your favorite resources for inviting children into the conversation about sustainability? I’d love to know!
The Sustainable Hearth 