Kindergarteners are ready to be Friends of the Environment!

As an incentive to fill out a survey, the Oregon Environmental Council sent me a kid-sized organic cotton t-shirt that says 'Eco-Kid'. I gave it to my daughter who asked, "What's an Eco-Kid?" I told her that it means she is a friend of the environment. "Friend of the Environment? Sounds like a superhero. Cool." Ever since then, whenever we talk about good things we can do for the planet, she always refers to herself as a Friend of the Environment (and flexes her tiny bicep).

Today Renee and I spoke to a class of kindergarteners about Reduce / Reuse / Recycle. We tried to make it as simple and basic as possible, and they totally got it. A lot of them already knew what should and should not go into the curbside recycling bin. They could tell us that using cloth napkins and reusable water bottles were better than paper and toss-away plastic. They practically rolled their eyes when I asked which juice container produced less waste: the big glass jug or the 6-pack of juice boxes. Then we looked at what some kids brought for their snack and talked about what could be recycled, reused and the potential for reducing their waste. I was just blown away by the collective smarts of these kids. Obviously their parents and teachers are sharing the right messages. These kids are primed to be Friends of the Environment.

Sometimes I forget how eager kids this age are to learn. They are learning so much already: reading, writing, addition and subtraction, geography, and how to navigate the social scene. Their minds are like sponges (unlike the 30-something year old mind, which is more sieve-like), and we really need to start taking advantage of it! It's time to plant the seeds of eco-friendly behavior in our young children! If you're looking for ideas, check out our index of KidTips and the Outdoor Kids series. And please share your breakthroughs with the EnviroMom community -- we, too, are eager to learn how to raise a Friend of the Environment.