Our Earth, Our Home

Making our planet greener and cleaner one child at a time!

The past few weeks have felt more like January, yet April is here, and we are filled with the hopes of warm sunshine, blooming flowers, chirping birds, and a knowledge that summer is right around the corner. What better way to springboard into Spring (finally!) than commemorating Earth Day this Sunday April 22 with your children.

Earth Day is observed world wide each year on April 22 to support a healthier and more sustainable treatment of our environment.  Its origin begins in the early ‘60s and specifically after the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.

Here at The Westmont Montessori School we are highlighting Earth Day, by planting flowers, hatching chick, planting vegetable seeds, and of course playing outdoors.  At home try some of the following activities to help the children understand first hand how to keep the planet cleaner and greener.

• Plant, Plant, and Plant some more:  Bring your children to a local nursery and pick a small tree or flowers that you can plant at home.  Explain to your children that trees and plants reduce the greenhouse gases and give us cleaner air.
• Use both sides of paper when coloring. When children are working on art projects, like coloring, instruct them to use both sides of the paper. Explain to them that using the paper more than once will help save trees.
• Conserve H20:   Running the water while we brush our teeth wastes a great deal of water.  Explain to your children that turning off the faucet when brushing helps conserve water.
• Turn off the lights.  Lights, computers, and televisions use a lot of energy, and that energy is in short supply.  Ask your children to turn off the lights or TV when they are not in the room.
• Reuse and Recycle. Involve the whole family when it comes to recycling and explain why it is important. Show them the different types of items that can be recycled and have them help separate trash from recyclables.

Some additional activities and a history on Earth Day may be found on the following website: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/earthday/articles/index.asp?article=history&topic=0