10 kid-friendly steps to a better planet

Encourage your kids to do their part by helping the environment

By Leah Macpherson

In an era of global warming, pollution and dwindling resources, most parents are looking for ways to nurture environmentally responsible children.

Identifying easy, everyday ways that kids can help decrease our ecological impact on the planet is a great way to start eco-friendly habits that will last a lifetime — and kids all around the world are taking up the cause.

One of the ways Jennifer Gordon chose to make a difference was by volunteering to plant native vegetation in urban areas. She believes taking small measures can help make big changes and is convinced that kids can make a difference and help save the world.

Connecticut-born Janine Licare, who now lives in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, is another inspiring example of what environmentally minded kids can achieve. At the age of nine, she co-founded Kids Saving the Rainforest, an organization dedicated to preserving the rainforest and its animal inhabitants.

KSTR raises tens of thousands of dollars annually and has members around the globe, including places such as India, Canada and Vietnam. Janine’s advice for kids who want to help preserve the environment: “Find the right cause, investigate it, believe in it and don’t give up - it’s worth fighting for!”

Here are 10 ways to inspire your child to become environmentally aware.

1. Get connected

Encourage kids to join a club at school or hook up with online groups such as Kids for a Clean Environment and the Environmental Youth Alliance.

2. Switch it off

Turn off lights, televisions, etc. when not in use. PC users can help preserve power, too. Click Start > Control Panel. Make sure the setting is Classic View and click Power Options. Adjust the settings so your computer will automatically power off when not in use for an extended time.

Building a working model of a renewable energy source — such as a wind turbine or a solar-powered car — is a great way to help kids grasp the concept of energy production and conservation.

3. Litter less

Lose the paper bag and get a lunch box; you and your child can make a craft of it by finding fun fabric and sewing a lunch bag. Use reusable containers and cups instead of disposable baggies and juice boxes. Search online for tips on packing waste-free lunches.

4. Don’t be a drip

Canadians use about 1,600 cubic metres of water per person per year: twice as much as the average person in France and eight times as much as the average Dane! Conserve water by taking short showers and by turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth and washing dishes.

5. Recycle everything

Recycle cans, newspapers and more, but think outside the blue box: divert from the landfill by donating, trading or selling old toys, or start a clothing exchange.

6. Make dirt

Compost fruit and vegetable scraps — kids are titillated by the gross look of decomposing matter. Explain how the process turns organic material into soil for the garden, and make your own worm composter.

7. Park it

Walk or take public transit. Cities such as Toronto and Chicago have transit routes online. Print a map you and your child can follow, decrease pollution and share an adventure.

8. Salvage the soil

Volunteer with a group that restores green space. Evergreen and D.U.G. plant native vegetation and create gardens, ponds and meadows to rehabilitate urban neighbourhoods.

9. Walk on the wild side

Observe creatures in the wild using webcams to highlight the importance of animal and habitat conservation. Watch elephants and leopards at a watering hole in Africa, or observe the inner workings of an ant colony.