Earth Day: Useful Resources for Children & Families

When it comes to building understanding, positive messaging and tips for how to encourage sustainable thinking, there are lots of wonderful resources for families and children. We’ve picked out a few of our personal favourites.

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Resources for parents

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The Natural Resources Defense Council has a blog on how to talk to kids about climate change. It focuses on how to tackle the subject in a developmentally appropriate way, from fostering a love of the environment with toddlers, introducing junior science for primary age kids, through to encouraging conversation with pre-teens and even being prepared for challenging discussions with older kids. A really thought provoking article and well worth a read.

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Part of Unicef’s mission is to tackle climate change and create a livable planet for future generations. As such, they have some great resources, including their blog on talking to your child about climate change – which specifically focuses on how to engage children on the issue with hope and positivity. The article also points to a website called Climate Visuals, which offers a library of pictures, maps and videos that can be used to bring the topic alive for kids and make it more tangible.

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Perhaps it goes without saying, but the official Earth Day website offers a fantastic range of toolkits and ideas for practical action – from climate literacy, to guides on going plastic free and making sustainable fashion choices.

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Resources for kids to explore

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We’ve explored resources to help parents tackle the topic, but sometimes a little video can go a long way! For little ones, Tee and Mo of CBeebies fame have a Help Our Little World Song and interactive game that are designed to get kids thinking about the environment in a positive and empowering way. For older kids, CBBC has a whole section dedicated to Earth day, including quizzes, tips, songs and more.

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National Geographic Kids is a lovely, colourful, engaging website bursting with information about our world, animals, and science. As well as the more obvious resources such as their kids guide to how to save the planet, the site also fosters a love of the natural world – something which will help to shape the way they engage with the world for years to come.

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Earth Day is an opportunity for people to unite in support of a healthier planet. By taking part in activities such as recycling, planting trees, and adopting more sustainable practices, we can all make a difference in preserving our planet for future generations!