Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority encourages families to adopt ecofriendly practices and educate their children about the importance of environmental protection this World Environment Day (5th June 2020). World Environment Day is the perfect platform to drive awareness and introduce children to everyday actions that can have a positive impact on our ecosystem. Educating children to appreciate the world from a young age helps fuel a desire to protect and preserve the ecosystem for future generations to come. Fostering a passion for protecting the planet from childhood, plays a huge role in forming environmental-friendly habits that will continue into adulthood.
Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority highlights the importance of helping children develop a connection with different forms of life can lead to cultivating a sense of responsibility for their wellbeing. Children are often taught the importance of empathy and compassion for people around them and using these positive emotional abilities can contribute to developing environmental ethics from an early age. Stimulating empathetic skills in children towards the environment can be achieved by helping them understand various flora and fauna entities such as the animals, birds, plants and trees and in turn, the affect human activities have on their habitats.
ECA reminds everyone that contributing to global change starts at home. Families must implement pro-environment values and rules for children to follow. With guidance from caregivers, children can practice environmental-friendly habits at home with their family. Caregivers can teach children day to day behaviors including switching off lights when unused, turning off the tap whilst brushing teeth and how to cut down on single use plastic, as well as having frequent conversations with children about living creatures, plants and the ocean, encouraging inquisitiveness and curiosity about the environment. Learning about nature and wildlife will eventually build a natural tendency to care and protect them.
ECA also emphasizes the importance of introducing children to the ‘three Rs’: recycle, reuse and reduce. While spending time with children at the park or the beach, talk to them about food waste, plastic and other items people leave behind at these locations which can be harmful to the environment. Discuss about how they can make a difference through small actions such as recycling, reusing and responsibly reducing the use of resources such as water, electricity, paper and more.
As life gradually resumes and adjusts to the new normal by taking necessary precautionary measures, Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority suggests the below activities that can help children be environmentally friendly and have fun:
Homemade puzzles: Sketch out the puzzle pieces on the back of a cereal box or old magazine cover pages and cut them out neatly. Jumble the pieces and let the kids put them back together just like any other puzzle.
Newspaper building rods: Create fun geometrical domes using newspaper rods. Roll newspapers into long rods and punch holes on either end to help tie the rods together with yarn or strings and create various shaped domes and rocket ships.
Donate toys and clothes: Teach children about reusing items by involving them in charity donations. Ask them to choose their old clothes and toys that can be donated to charity organisations, explaining its importance to others. Bring the children along on trips to give the donations if possible when life returns to its normality.
Plant a tree: Ask the children to help grow a tree in the backyard or a plant in a plant-pot in the balcony. This way they will learn about the tree or plant and what it takes to grow them. Seeing it slowly grow will develop a sense of accomplishment and responsibility towards nature around them.
Meet with nature: Go on family trips to explore the environment, natural landscapes, and birds with the children, to help educate children about the importance of biodiversity that exists on Earth and grow an interest in mother nature.
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