Earth Water Air Minds Bodies

Activities, Books, Movies and Websites to Encourage Environmental Stewardship in Kids (and You!) this Summer

ACTIVITIES
Recycle Winter Tights into Summer Pot Holders
This is a win-win-win project. You get those unwanted winter tights out of your drawer. You help the environment by recycling the tights rather than tossing them. And you and your kids together create a useful pot holder!

Materials Needed: Plastic hand-weaving loom and hook from a craft store, opaque tights, scissors, and crochet hook.

1. Cut 36 loops out of the legs of a pair of tights. The loops should be approximately 1' wide.
2. The loom requires 18 loops going in each direction ­ start by attaching 18 of the loops to the loom in one direction only. Choose to use one color throughout, one color horizontally and another vertically, or a random combination.
3. Once 18 loops are going one way, attach a loop of your desired color on one end of the weaving hook and beginning at the edge of the side with empty pegs. Weave the hook over and under the loops stretched across the loom and once you are halfway across place one end of the loop on the peg closest to where you began. Continue weaving across until you get to the end and place the other end on the opposite peg.
4. For the second loop, begin the process again but go under then over the loops instead of over then under. Continue this way (over-under, then under-over) alternating colors as desired until each peg has a loop attached.
5. To complete the potholder you have to remove it from the loom while finishing up the edges. Use a crochet hook and pull the corner loop off the loom, catch the second loop and pull it through the first, then pull the third loop through the second, and the third loop through the fourth, and so one. When you get to the last loop, set your hook aside, stretch the loop and tie a knot creating a loop from which you can hang your masterpiece.

Greener Golf
Get out and hit the links with your kids this summer! Whether it is a game of mini-golf or 18-holes, get your kids outside and teach them a new sport while spending quality time together. Unfortunately, keeping the greens green may have negative environmental impacts including the large amount of water used for irrigation, chemical treatments, and the use of pesticides. If you plan to take a trip to the course, try to decrease the environmental impact of your trip with these simple solutions:

• Visit www.golfandenvironment.org to find courses that have been certified to protect the environment by Audubon International’s Golf and the Environment Initiative
• Opt for walking the links instead renting a cart
• Buy and use biodegradable tees and water-soluble balls

BOOKS
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder Updated and Expanded.(Algonquin Paperbacks, 2008)
by Richard Louv

This is a 300-page missive to shrugging off the status quo in much of American society and reclaiming childhood. Louv addresses the disconnect many children have with nature, spending most of their time inside, or being shuttled to organized outside activities. He feels they are lacking in the spontaneity, amazement, wonder, and choices of childhoods not too long ago. The book includes wonderful, anecdotal stories, as well as empirical data, to support Louv’s theories, all conveyed in his homespun style. Chapter 10 addressing parents’ fear of allowing children to play outside unsupervised is especially interesting. The Field Guide included in this new edition is an invaluable resource for parents, teachers, community leaders, and businesses. It includes suggestions and resources for each of those groups to help transform our communities and help our children establish an important bond with their natural world.

MOVIES
The Bee Movie — This is a film even preschoolers can follow and sends an environmental message about the interconnection of life on earth. The movie is rated PG for mildly suggestive humor and is 90 minutes long. Originally I was hesitant to watch the movie and turned-off due to the aggressive marketing of an animated film. However, the huge marketing campaign can be turned into an opportunity to discuss with your kids whether or not the movie lived up to the “buzz”.

There are a few stressful scenes in which Barry, the main Bee character, tries to fly through Manhattan in the rain (NOTE: Bees can’t fly in the rain) as well as a few close calls where he is almost squashed but there are no villains or monsters to scare the little ones. There are some jokes intended for adults that will likely go over your kids’ head but that can make it appealing for the whole family to watch together.

Check out the review at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/Bee-Movie.html for third-party, adult, and kid reviews as well as a chart of any Sexual Content, Violence, Language, and Messages (i.e., Social Behavior, Commercialism, and Alcohol/Tobacco).

WEBSITES
These websites provide families with great information and ideas on how they can make a contribution to protecting the environment. Check them out! We think they’re great and know you will too.

www.helpthehoneybees.com
This website is by Häagan-Dazs, the ice cream maker. It is designed for kids with the goal of raising awareness of the decline of honeybee populations. The goal is to educate the entire community to work to bring the bees back. A brand-new flavor of ice cream has been created, Vanilla Honey Bee, the proceeds of which support the honey bee and sustainable pollination research programs at Pennsylvania State University and the University of California at Davis.

http://www.kidsgardening.org/2007.kids.garden.news/current.html
Visit this website to subscribe to Kids Garden News from the National Gardening Association. Once you subscribe online, you will receive e-mail updates with information on gardening resources, youth gardening conferences and more.

www.adventureecology.com
Adventure Ecology is a web-based nonprofit designed to educate adults and older children about climate change, habitat destruction, and pollution through the recounting of remote expeditions to imperiled ecosystems. For example, while trekking across the North Pole, the team posted daily blogs about environmental degradation online and they received roughly 2 million hits during the 100-day expedition.

www.zolagoods.com
You have been to Tupperware, Spa, and Pampered Chef parties, so why not a party to shop for eco-friendly products? That is the idea and mission behind Zola. Zola is committed to offering solutions to environmental challenges and empowering those who want to make a difference in their community. Embracing a grassroots approach, Zola Coordinators host parties and educate individuals about small changes they can make to improve their lives and the environment. Inspired by this message, guests will then have the opportunity to purchase high-quality, affordable, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible products.

 

newsletter | archives | legislative updates | resources | support & contact us | blog | site map // disclaimer
© 2009 Real Mama, Inc. | PO Box 222, Rumson, NJ 07760