Earth Day falls on Apr 22 every year, and every year it seems to sneak up on us. But we don’t need to have a whole curriculum planned to participate. Earth Day is really just about taking the time to consider how our everyday activities affect the Earth. When you’re in a big city like Beijing, it’s hard to make time for our planet. But it’s a necessity.
What are some simple ways we can introduce environmental stewardship in our kids’ lives? Watch this video below for more details on using our tips in Beijing.
Track All the Plastic in Your Home
Take a box and have every member of your household place all the plastic in it for just one week. Acknowledge as a family the amount of waste and brainstorm how to reduce it.
See all the WeChat groups for moving towards a more sustainable lifestyle here.
Take Them to a Donation Center
Don’t just donate gently used items to a charity. Make a field trip together and see how reusing or upcycling works. Better yet, make time for kids to spend time volunteering to sort items.
Roundabout will often have chances for kids to volunteer with parental guidance. Add WeChat ID: Roundabout_volunteer for more info.
Visit a Farm
Showing kids where their food comes from brings up a whole load of other questions related to the environment. Why is some food fresh and others frozen? Take a trip to pick strawberries and get ready to answer some hard questions!
Two strawberry farms you can visit are through WeChat IDs: Selinaml and dingguoguo6886
Just Go Outside
It’s that simple. Find yourself a park nearby or walking trail, and just go on a nature walk with no objective. Keep your phone in your pocket and breathe in the world around you and your kid.
Remember, the very first step to caring about the Earth is to appreciate it.
Even if you don’t have time for a field trip, take the time to talk about Earth Day with your kids and follow their lead on how to help our planet.
KEEP READING: Pay to Play in Parks? What a Beijing Culture Shock
Image: Canva
