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Children must learn to love and respect Nature not only as part of a comprehensive education that fosters empathy and the value of the environment, but also as future responsible citizens who make a better tomorrow possible. To achieve this, in addition to leading by example, teachers and parents can organize or suggest ecological activities that help them learn ecological principles by playing.
At first, simple contact with Nature is an easy way for children to become familiar with the environment, to awaken in them a spontaneous instinct for protection or, at the very least, a respect and taste for ecosystems. It is not necessary for the little ones to practice activism of any kind. It will be enough to encourage their curiosity for everything that surrounds them, always with due caution, of course. In addition to going on a picnic, we can do routes on foot, by bike, by train or, why not, by boat. While they observe insects, plants, birds and other animals we must instill in them respect towards them and ensure that they live positive experiences that are attractive to them.
Playing with the earth, rolling around in the ground and making little castles with your own hands or with the help of the typical buckets, shovels and rakes will entertain you for hours, and will prepare you to later help us in a small organic garden or to grow your own plants in pots. If you are interested in knowing interesting and fun eco activities for kids keep reading this article by Ecologist Verde.
Organic gardens
Either planting a tree, seedlings in a vegetable garden, a few seeds in a pot or a simple peach pit, let's say, witnessing the miracle of life will be a great teaching, while it will benefit them to feel responsible for that living being that needs their care.
It is also important that they know the importance of compost and pesticides are environmentally friendly and the reasons why this is so, both with regard to the health of the people who later eat those tomatoes or lettuces even out of respect for the environment.
Children often enjoy outdoor activities and have a great time helping the older ones to take care of small organic gardens, in which they can have some small plants assigned to them in order to involve them in a direct way, with which their satisfactions will also be greater when growing them and later when eating them. Hopefully, they might even start to take a liking to eating fruits and vegetables if they didn't already do so before.
Recycle and play making crafts
The creative recycling is another of the eco-friendly activities that kids like, amuse them and raise awareness about the importance of not wasting resources. One option is to let their imagination run wild by transforming a simple cardboard box, plastic bottle, and other waste or unusable materials into toys.
The newspapers and magazines They are also ideal for making crafts such as collages, Christmas decorations or for any other special party or, why not, they can transform your old toys and renew them, either combining pieces or reusing them as a complement to their new creations with recycled materials.
In addition, nature gives us multiple elements that will later be used to make all kinds of crafts. For example, fallen walnuts, chestnuts, or pineapples. We will have the children collect them and then make crafts (or eat them, in the case of nuts). With the chestnuts, we can make a beautiful necklace that they will make themselves and can give to whoever they want later. Also, with the help of toothpicks we can create fun animals with this autumnal nut, such as horses, dogs, a monkey, a giraffe, or other objects, such as cars, chairs or tables. We will need the help of an awl and a wooden element, such as toothpicks or matches from which we have removed the red end.
Likewise, you can take them one day to collect stones of various shapes and sizes and then, at home, paint them and make interesting compositions. For example, a colorful fruit basket, a nice farm after having painted various animals …
Also with the fallen autumn leaves We can make beautiful compositions by sticking them on wood, especially if we paint them before with colored sprays, or with gold and silver glitter.
A very positive activity for children is to encourage them to make their own vegetable cultivation in yogurt jars, they also serve vegetables or something they especially like. The child will experience great satisfaction the day he / she can eat what he / she himself / herself cultivated, cared for and saw grow.
Organic gymkhana
If we are looking for group activities, the organic gymkhana it may be a perfect option. The possibilities are endless when it comes to preparing for tests. Some examples may be properly separate waste (paper, orange peels, cans, plastics, glass and paper, among others) and be successful when depositing them in the corresponding containers.
Riddles cannot be absent, riddles about ecological issues or simply about animals and plants, in order to bring them closer to the natural world. It would also be interesting to create some test about ecosystems and also about the eco-friendly gestures (saving electricity, water, etc.) that are carried out in a daily environment, such as the home or school. Fun is assured.
Activities in contact with nature
Mother Nature offers us infinite sources of natural and free fun. The sea, the mountain, the field, the sky … it will be a pleasure to explore everything with the children, help their formation and also learn to value together all the good that the planet can give us.
We can start by organizing a "tour" in the middle of nature with the children. Starting with a family walk in the woods. During it we can, for example, teach them what kind of trees are there, how certain vegetables are grown, where a river goes or how certain animals and creatures are born and live. After the interesting day of learning outdoors, we will ask them to create a story, in which they write and draw everything they have learned, what they liked the most and what caught their attention. It will be hilarious!
When the good weather and the spring days arrive, we can distract ourselves with a butterfly hunt, which we will later set free. Something that will fascinate them and keep them entertained. For example, a good idea is to organize similar experiences, such as snail hunts in a forest after the rain. Before leaving them in their habitat, do not forget to make a race with them with all the members of the family to see which of all the snails is the fastest. It is also very positive to take them to see different birds and, if possible, get one of them to eat from their own hands of their own free will.
With the arrival of snow and cold, an interesting family activity is to build one or a family of snowmen. A snowball competition won't give you a hard time outdoors either!
If your children haven't seen it yet, take them to a beautiful natural setting to watch a sunset, a dusk, or both. Do not forget, when it is summer, to have them bathe in the middle of nature, such as in a lake or a river. They sure like more than traditional swimming pools!
Another very interesting hobby to do as a family is organizing a "treasure hunt"For a forest that you know well. Make maps in advance with recycled paper and prepare it all the day before, leaving clues in key places, such as at a certain point on the river, next to the highest apple tree or in one of the bins at the entrance to the forest or park Each child must be accompanied by an adult and learn to orient himself and to know where the North is, for example, through the moss that grows on trees or with the help of a compass.
Also when the good weather arrives, we can take them canoeing on a river or a calm lake. It is an activity that they love!
An activity that should not be missed is a visit to a farm-school to get a closer look and learn useful details about farm animals. They will love touching a hen, feeding a pony and knowing how a pig lives, and you will be giving them a lifelong learning experience.
Ecological activities to do with children in winter
In addition to those already mentioned in previous sections, sign up for these recommended activities to do at home or outside with the children:
- Teach them (with the supervision of an adult) to make a natural anti-cold herbal tea. In this way they will learn that not only chemicals are needed to cure a minor illness.
- Collect branches of different sizes in a forest and make a big and beautiful star of branches, with glue and paintings to decorate it.
- Spend an afternoon baking cookies so that they can participate in the process. Buy molds with fun shapes (heart, animal, star …) so that they can choose the ones they like the most.
- Organize a "snack of collected nuts" at home after a day in the field or forest picking them.
- Propose them to take different fruits and vegetables and make a composition as they want. Afterwards, the whole family will paint it with watercolors and discuss which one is the most beautiful.
- Go to the largest flower market in your city and choose the most curious, colorful and beautiful flower bulbs. Planting flower bulbs that will be born in spring will be an enriching and precious experience.
Ecological activities to do in summer with the little ones
Of course, spring and summer They give us many more options when it comes to enjoying the outdoors with the little ones. Take advantage of go on excursions, take them camping, do different family sports, go out to discover the closest surroundings and let them know various charming towns in the region. An activity that cannot be missed are the bike rides, one of the most ecological and healthy activities that exist.
You will be teaching your children the benefits of this sustainable means of transport, which you can use in natural environments such as the forest or in the city, through parks or designated areas. In addition, you will be contributing to their physical training.
If you want to read more articles similar to Ecological activities for children, we recommend that you enter our category of Other ecology.
