Being Green is Good for Kids

Hooray hooray, today is Earth Day! I am hopeful the weather will hold and we will have another great year of pulling weeds and invasive species at Garfield Park. It has become an annual tradition, inspiring much excitement and camaraderie amongst students. It is my hope that this small act of service is an opportunity for students to think about the big and small things they can do all year to be mindful of the earth and our impact on it.  Here are some resources and information on why living green is good for kids (and their families):

• Connecting kids with nature helps combat what Richard Louv calls, "Nature Deficit Disorder." He spent ten years researching and interviewing kids and families and found that kids spend fewer hours playing outside overall, few hours outside in nature and few hours in unstructured activities outside. It is not a far stretch to connect those dots with rising rates of childhood obesity, rates of ADHD and childhood depression. For ideas on ways to connect your child and family to the great outdoors (and Spring and Summer are a great time to do so), see connecting with nature

• It establishes a baseline of learning for life. Experiences and lessons learned in early childhood have a lasting effect, says the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)- “children’s experiences during early childhood not only influence their later functioning in school but can have effects throughout life” (NAEYC position statement).  Fortunately, the PYP and MYP really push our students to learn about globally significant issues, teaching about some aspect of sustainability is a part of units at all grade levels. 

• It builds character. When children learn to reuse or repair items before just throwing them away, they learn about being thrifty and conscientious.  When children learn to hold onto litter until they find a trash can or recycling bin, it teaches patience and responsibility for taking care of the community in which they live. Children who learn about eating food that is grown locally and sustainably develop an understanding and concern for others. 4 Reasons to teach kids about sustainability

• It helps develop perspective. Living in ways that are more sustainable helps kids learn that the world is bigger than the little bubble we live in. Each action we take has an impact both near and far. In the same vein, every small thing we each do combines for a large impact overall. 

To learn more about sustainability with your children, check out some of these fun videos. Sustainability Hub

And perhaps the greatest reason of all...