Growing future environmentalists

Most young children are only just learning to understand their own needs and feelings, let alone worrying about other people and the planet! It is our responsibility as adults, then, to provide everyday opportunities for children to develop an awareness of the environment and, in turn, help them to develop empathy and kindness.

Opportunities to teach children about the natural world and how to look after it present themselves in the everyday. For example, you might explain to your children the reason you are using a bag for life instead of a single use plastic bag, and why you put your rubbish in the bin rather than dropping it on the floor.

Modelling sustainable behaviours, such as taking good care of your belongings rather than treating them as something disposable and replaceable, can also be a good starting point. This helps to teach your children that the resources our amazing planet provides are finite and without our stewardship, they will run out.

Acknowledge kind behaviour when you see it, both in children and in adults. If your child displays behaviour that is not kind to others or the environment, remember that this is a learning process. Rather than using language that labels them as unkind, talk to them about the choice they made and show them a better one.

Play is a powerful motivator when it comes to wanting to learn. It provides children with opportunities to make sense of the world and form connections with others. For example, something as simple as playing in a puddle is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the natural world:

• What is a puddle made of? 
• Where does a puddle come from?
  
• Why is it there sometimes and other times it’s not?
  
• Who else is enjoying the puddle? Is it also a bird bath or a chance for an animal to have a drink?
  
• What happens if puddles get too big? Can they cause problems?
  

Jumping in puddles can also be an opportunity to develop physical co-ordination and strength, understand size and depth, learn new words, and mimic sound effects such as ‘splash’ and ‘whoosh’.

So, as the very wise bear Winnie the Pooh once said: “When life throws you a rainy day, play in the puddles.’’

A popular story with young children is We’re going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen. In the story the family travel across different terrains such as mud, grass, a forest and a river as they seek out a bear, so why not make up your own version that is inspired by your outdoor area or local green spaces? You could go twirling and whirling around a tree or scrunching and crunching through gravel. Think about what wonderful conversations you could create along the way about where animals live and why they live there.

Activities like playing in puddles and going on nature adventures are sowing the seeds of sustainability. You are giving children learning opportunities about caring for our planet in a way that gives them meaning and an opportunity to be involved.

By role modelling kindness, teaching them about nature and showing them how to be sustainable you are guiding your children to form good habits that will last a lifetime.