Kids
The environment for kids: how it works, and what you can do about it
Everything living on Earth needs the same few things: clean air, clean water, food and a place to live. A habitat is the place an animal gets all four. When a habitat is broken up by roads and buildings, or polluted, the animals living there cannot simply move somewhere else — usually there is nowhere else to go. That single idea explains most of what conservation is about.
Energy is the other big idea. It flows from the sun to plants, from plants to the animals that eat them, and on to the animals that eat those — a food chain. Because each step passes on only a small fraction of the energy it received, there are always far more plants than plant-eaters, and far more plant-eaters than predators. Take one link out and everything above it in the chain is affected, which is why scientists worry about species that seem small and unimportant, like bees and plankton.
Water does not disappear either. Rain that falls on your street runs into a storm drain, and in most towns that drain leads straight to a creek, a river or the sea with no cleaning along the way. That is why a dropped sweet wrapper or a bit of spilled oil on a driveway can genuinely end up in the ocean — and why picking litter up is not just about tidiness.
Ten-minute experiments and projects
- Weigh your rubbish for a week. Keep a tally of what your household throws away and what it recycles. Almost everyone is surprised by how much of it is packaging.
- Start a worm bin. Worms turn fruit and vegetable scraps into compost for the garden, and a bin small enough for a balcony works fine.
- Plant for pollinators. A few flowering plants on a windowsill or in a corner of the garden will attract bees and butterflies you can then count and identify.
- Do a litter survey. Collect litter from one small area, sort it into types, and see which type wins. It is real data, and it is usually plastic.
- Find the leaks. A dripping tap can waste a surprising amount of water in a day — put a measuring jug under it and work out how much.
Useful and Interesting Links
Each of the links below opens in a new browser window, so The-Environment.net stays open behind it. Grown-ups: these are outside sites, so it is worth a look before handing over the keyboard.
Pages filled with lots of fun and interesting things to read and do for kids involving the environment.
Printable coloring book about the environment.
A wonderful site to teach your child all about animals, everything from survival habits to the weird and wacky ways of your favorite animals. Play games, get fun animal facts and learn how you can help to protect our endangered species..
An educational site intended to make learning about animals a fun experience. Children can learn about animals from around the world or right in their back yard, They can also create their own adventures and test their knowledge of animal by playing the "Who Lives Here Game?
Explore the geography of the Ecuadorian Amazon through online games and activities.
From slime and fine motor skill building to handprint keepsakes and free printables, we've compiled 20 unique and fun Earth Day activities that you can do with the kids.
The learning opportunities that come from gardening reach beyond the backyard. In the most literal sense, a garden is a science lab that cultivates curiosity about nature, horticulture, and wildlife.
Environmental conservation is an important issue in today's world, and there are lots of ways to help in your own backyard.