environment for kids Archives - Minds On Music

3 “play-filled” recycling activities for kids

“It will be a wasteland if we don’t recycle,” stated a four-year-old child in a recent preschool study. Wow! Teaching children never stops but neither does learning from children.
Although we are nearing the end of the United Nations Decade for Sustainability (2005-2014), our commitment to sustainability remains intact. It’s why we strive to find ways to make and deliver our product that decreases our carbon footprint. It’s also why we continue to provide resources and ideas–such as recycling activities for kids–for educators and parents to use when teaching children about the environment and our impact on it. After all, investing in a greener world is also an investment in our world’s children.

Using play to teach sustainability for kids

Of course, in early childhood education, making a personal connection and involving the whole child in the process deepens the understanding. One recent study looked at different ways to engage children in an early childhood education curriculum that taught sustainability. In the study, the preschool teacher created a recycling “center” for children. At the center, children could sort various items into a recycling bin, the trash, or a compost bucket. The teacher offered this center three times in three different ways:

Modeled play: In the first recycling activity for kids, the teacher showed the children how to look for the triangle on plastic containers and bottles. Using a chart, she indicated whether or not the item could be recycled.
Open-ended play: In the second recycling activity for kids offered on a different day, the teacher let the children problem solve on their own.
Purposeful-play: In the final recycling activity for kids, the teacher and children engaged together in conversations about and interaction with the materials, including the purpose behind the activity. The teacher also made connections between the activity in the classroom and how this could look in their homes and communities.

Recycling activities for kids at home

This small study about sustainability for kids can be replicated at home and in classrooms. To a child, every moment is a teachable moment—even taking out the trash. One of the goals of the United Nations Decade for Sustainability is “to motivate and empower learners to change their behavior and take action for sustainable development.” At Kindermusik, we can think of no better way than to start by actively engaging our children in the process. Together, we can create a greener world.

Learn more about Kindermusik’s commitment to sustainability.

5 fun things for kids to do that teach sustainability

(Source: makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/)

This time of year we all seem to be on the lookout for family activities and fun things for kids to do. After all, with the holiday season upon us who doesn’t need ideas for activities for 2 year olds, 3 year olds, or the whole family? Let’s be honest, though. It probably never hurts to have a few extra ideas for fun things for kids to do—at any time of the year.
So, we pulled together a few ideas from Pinterest that we thought the rest of the Kindermusik community would enjoy. These family activities are not only fun but they also include the added benefit of teaching sustainability for kids. Go ahead and pin this post and consider it like that extra change of clothes for your children you always keep in the car—you might need them today or next week—but you know you will need them!

5 family activities that support the environment for kids

14 world instruments that can be made from recycled materials. Looking for something to do with that roasting pan? Try transforming it into a gong. Instead of taking that old cardboard box or milk container to the recycle bin, let your child use it for a drum or a shaker.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Playing outside and noticing the world around us teaches young children about the importance of caring for our planet. Try this nature scavenger hunt with the whole family. The pictures make it easy even for non-readers to join in on the fun.
Make a Ball Maze from recycled materials Paper towel and toiler paper tubs can work for this fun activity for kids. To extend the activity, you can even encourage your children to decorate the tubes with paint or crayons.
Turn artwork into, well, artwork. Put on music from Kindermusik class, give your children white paper and crayons, and encourage them to draw what they hear. Then, use this blogger’s idea to turn their artwork into something new.
Read about the earth. Sometimes a trip to the library can be just the adventure a baby, toddler, or preschooler needs. While there, grab a few of these books about the earth and snuggle up to read together.

Did you like these ideas for fun things for kids to do? Then try: 5 ideas to involve the whole family in being green. It feels good to be prepared with creative family activities and take care of the environment for kids at the same time!

5 ideas to involve the whole family in being green

Sustainability for kids can start with a seed—literally and figuratively. We put together five ways to involve the whole family in protecting the environment for kids. From planting a garden to planting the knowledge about the importance of sustainability, we think you and your family will enjoy “going green!”

5 ideas for family involvement in education that will have you seeing green

Take a hike. Parental involvement in early childhood education looks different in various settings from preschool to home to the grocery store. To a child, every setting—and every moment—can be a teachable one. Going on a hike together can be the ideal place to investigate a local ecosystem, look for signs of the changing season, and gain an overall appreciation of the world outdoors. Plus, by bringing an extra garbage bag and gloves to pick up trash along the way, it’s also an easy way to work in recycling activities for kids.
Go green for the holidays. Make the holidays fun while also supporting a green environment for kids. Use LED lights for decorative lighting. Compost pumpkin remains and recycle Christmas trees instead of throwing them away. Buy from local farmers for your holiday feasts. Decrease your carbon footprint and purchase holiday gifts from local merchants and artisans.
Plant a garden. You don’t need an acre of land to teach your children that food doesn’t grow at the grocery store. All you need is sunlight, water, and dirt. A windowsill is the perfect spot to grow herbs. A back deck or patio can grow beautiful tomatoes. Save the apple seeds from your child’s snack and plant them in a small container. Your child can watch a little apple tree grow!
Read all about it! Combine your child’s love of reading with these 20 children’s books that show the importance of sustainability for kids.
Recycle together. Recycling activities for kids can be fun and support family involvement in education at the same time. Recycling that cereal box? Give your children the “job” of checking all items for “Labels for Education” or “Box Tops.” Many preschools and elementary schools collect them as part of their fundraising efforts.

At Kindermusik, we believe in the power of music to unlock a child’s fullest potential while also supporting family involvement in education. In addition, we believe that protecting the environment for kids and being mindful about the way we conduct business is part of the process.

You can read more about how our passion for supporting sustainability for kids impacts our business decisions.

20 family-friendly books about the environment for kids

“I take care of the earth because I know I can do little things every day to make a BIG difference,” writes Todd Parr in his book, The EARTH Book, that teaches sustainability for kids. Children help us see the beauty and wonder in the little things. A walk through the neighborhood becomes an exploration in ants, newly fallen leaves, ladybugs, and yes, even a tiny drop of water on a blade of grass. Support your child’s early literacy development and learn about the little (and big!) ways your family can “go green,” such as recycling activities for kids, by reading books about the environment for kids. Here are 20 to get you started!

20 children’s books that show the importance of sustainability for kids

The EARTH Book by Todd Parr
Biscuit’s Earth Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
It’s Earth Day by Mercer Mayer
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Big Earth, Little Me by Thom Wiley
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Big Bear Hug by Nicholas Odland
The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Compost Stew by Mary McKenna Siddals
Listen, Listen by Phyllis Gershator
Emeraldalicious by Victoria Kahn
The Berenstain Bears Go Green by Jan & Mike Berenstain
The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales by Dawn Casey
Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell
A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas
Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola
And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano
Step Gently Out by Helen Frost
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies

Become a Super Hero for the environment (and early literacy development)

Pretending to be a favorite character in a book helps children understand the parts of a story, build sequencing skills, boost vocabulary skills, and even supports creativity and comprehension. So, go ahead, be the Lorax in full costume found here, or Mama Bear, or even a leaf floating down from a tree in fall. Your child will love this pretend play and you will love supporting your child’s early literacy development while also learning more about the importance of sustainability for kids.

3 ways to turn Garbage Day into recycling activities for kids

Garbage day causes lots of excitement in homes with small children. Preschoolers and toddlers can often be found with faces pressed to windows or jumping up and down in delight as they watch those big trucks noisily shift from house to house. And, oh happy day, if the driver actually blows the horn!
When parents think about activities for kids at home, most probably don’t think of “Trash Day” as one filled with educational activities for kids. However, it can be, especially if parents think about the environment! Try these three ways to learn about sustainability for kids.

3 ways to turn Garbage Day into learning about the environment for kids

1. Go on a virtual field trip—courtesy of NPR— to see what happens to glass bottles after they leave your at-home recycle bin.

2. Read “How a New Bottle Becomes a Used Bottle” and ask your child questions about what you read together. Make connections between what you read to the video you watched. Identify glass recyclables in your own home.

3. Play with magnets. In recycling centers, metal objects are separated from glass objects using powerful magnets. Gather various child-friendly objects from around your house and use magnets together to sort the objects into two piles.

Recycling activities for kids can be fun for the whole family. Plus, it helps your child to understand how we all impact the world around us.

5 ways eBooks support early literacy and the environment for kids

At Kindermusik, we like to say that we are doing our life’s best work by creating and teaching early childhood curricula that instills a lifelong love of music and learning in children. Our life’s best work, however, also includes being mindful of our impact on the environment for kids. We strive to balance educationally sound curricula with business practices that support sustainability. Providing eBooks to families as part of enrollment in Kindermusik is one of the latest ways we can do both. eBooks support early literacy and the environment for kids. Here’s how:

5 ways eBooks support the environment and early literacy

eBooks encourage even reluctant readers to read more. Some children naturally gravitate towards reading and books, where other children need a little more encouragement. Research shows that eBooks can turn even reluctant readers into more eager readers.
eBooks are better for the environment for kids. Printed books result in the emission of almost four times the amount of greenhouse gases than e-readers.
With eBooks, reading together can happen wherever you and your child are—waiting at the doctor’s office, sitting on the beach, or snuggling on the couch. We know most parents—even librarians!—rarely carry a bag full of children’s books ready to pull out at a moment’s notice. However, most parents never leave home without their phone. Parents can access eBooks for kids at the touch of a button.
Printed books emit larger quantities of ozone-depleting substances and chemicals associated through their life cycles.
eBooks with rich visualizations, sounds and music appear to help early language and literacy skills, especially for young at-risk students.

Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. Kindermusik gives parents the tools (and eBooks) needed to support that role. Our music classes for toddlers, babies, big kids, and families now include access to Kindermusik@Home. With Kindermusik@Home, parents can access favorite Kindermusik songs and activities, learning games for kids—and eBooks!—and more in a green-friendly digital format any time from any smart phone, iPad, tablet, laptop, or computer.

To learn more about enrolling in Kindermusik classes and receiving access to Kindermusik@Home, contact a local Kindermusik educator via our Class Locator.

Schools, preschools, and childcare centers can also benefit from Kindermusik@Home. To learn more about bringing our digital early learning curriculum into your classroom, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.

4 ways Kindermusik@Home protects the environment for kids

Long before Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s not easy being green,” Chief Seattle spoke about the importance of sustainability for kids. He said, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” At Kindermusik, we take those words and our role as educators and protectors of the environment for kids seriously. It’s one of the reasons we introduced Kindermusik@Home in 2012. With these educational activities for kids, families participate in age-appropriate digital learning, such as reading eBooks, virtual fieldtrips, and music downloads, that connects the classroom with a family’s daily routines and rituals while also supporting Kindermusik International’s commitment to sustainability.

4 ways Kindermusik@Home helps protect the environment for kids

Kindermusik@Home eliminates the printing and shipping costs of traditional books, CDs, instruments, and packaging.
Virtual fieldtrips introduce children to new ideas, places, animals, and people without using carbon fuels to travel long distances or possibly disturbing fragile ecosystems. On a virtual fieldtrip, families may visit the studio of a drum maker in Chicago, go on a bird walk to see and hear birds from around the world, or even experience a carnival (without the long lines!).
Digital eBooks provide children and families with the same educational benefits of print books while saving nearly 5 million (and growing!) sheets of paper each year.
Parents discover creative ways to re-use items normally reserved for the recycle or trash bin to create instruments, parade crafts, a train, and more. These fun and practical ideas spark imaginations and turn “trash” into a beloved treasure.

To learn more about enrolling in a Kindermusik class and receiving access to Kindermusik@Home, contact a local educator and
Find a Kindermusik Class Near You.

Schools, preschools, and childcare centers can also benefit from Kindermusik@Home. To learn more about bringing our digital early learning curriculum into your classroom while also increasing parental involvement, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com