Conservation for Kids
Just like it’s crucial to teach kids about the importance of saving water, it’s also important to teach children that certain wildlife needs protecting too. Not only is it rewarding to see your child grow up to respect the environment, but engaging them with the wilderness has many health benefits, and might even give them an interest in STEM careers down the line!
There are lots of tips and tricks to teach your children about the importance of conservation and its relationship with water, but the best ones try to make learning fun. Why not try some of the water and wildlife conservation-orientated games and activities below?
Teach your children to identify species
Children love to feel like experts, so teach your child to identify the fish species you see at the local pond, the different types of trees, or the hummingbirds flittering around in your backyard.
Create a life list
Life lists are an inventive way to keep track of all the different species’ you discover in lakes or rivers, and they can be anything from a simple notebook to a huge computer database! They’re a great way to encourage kids to get out and explore their local waters, plus: they’re learning at the same time!
Play games
Games are always a fun way to teach your child important lessons, especially if they’re on the younger side. There are awesome games for them to try right here, whether they need to learn about the water cycle, or learn what they can do to help. You can also find great water-related games on the kid’s page at Water – Use It Wisely.
Attend workshops together
On any given weekend, there is usually some type of nature or conservation-oriented presentation being offered at a local nature reserve or park, where your kids can learn about the importance of saving water and all the animals that live in and around it. Who knows, it may even stick with them and inspire their career!
There are many other things you can do, of course, such as fishing or watching nature documentaries, so don’t be afraid to get creative! The important thing to remember is that your children look up to you, so if you take an interest in protecting the environment and looking out for the animals in your life – they will too!
From time to time, Water – Use It Wisely features guest bloggers who write about topics related to water and water conservation. The author of this blog post is Jackie Edwards. Now working as a writer, Jackie started her career in health and wellness, but after becoming a mom refocused and decided to spend more time with her family. When she’s not writing, she volunteers for a number of local wildlife charities, is a keen conservationist, and also has a menagerie of pets to look after