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Teaching Kids About Organics
Few will deny the presence of local, grassroots efforts coupled with global movements to educate adults about the benefits of leading an organic, eco-friendly life. Information abounds at grocery stores, schools, gyms, businesses and certainly online. But when it comes to kids and their exposure to the messages, are we saying and teaching enough?
Children are welcome sponges for experiences and information. With very little effort, talking to kids about changes you have made in either your daily routine, or your approach to a healthy lifestyle, can make a very convincing statement about what is important to you and your family. Here are some simple ways to engage kids at home and pique a lifelong interest in all things organic?
Encourage child participation in every meal preparation. Even children as young as three years old can practice slicing healthy fruit and vegetables such as watermelon or cooked potato. What is more fun than hearing the SNAP of an asparagus stalk being broken off? Odds are, if they helped prepare it, kids may be more apt to eat it.
Plant a seed, grow a garden. Even if your available gardening space is limited to a kitchen window, that is plenty of room to start an indoor garden and watch the seeds of plant life take root. Anything from parsley to sunflower seeds will demonstrate the power of good soil, consistent water, sunlight and patience. If you are lucky enough to have space in your yard to plant a larger vegetable or flower garden, then there is additional opportunity to teach about pesticides, weeds, composting and more.
Get moving and grooving. With the warm weather upon us, it is time to park the car in the garage and wipe the cobwebs from the bicycle spokes. Not only is bike riding a great family activity, but the exercise will make eating juicy summer fruit even more satisfying! If you are going to truly embrace the bike riding lifestyle, purchase some fun baskets to put on the handlebars of your kids' bikes so they can transport a bag of groceries home from your next trip to the store.
Visit your local Farmers Market. Farmers Markets are a treasure chest of wonderful, locally grown produce, fruit, flowers, jams and meats. In addition to offering a fantastic venue for people-watching and local entertainment, Farmers Markets expose your kids to the actual growers of the food sold. Saunter up to an apple vendor and ask why their apples are superior to the ones you can buy in the store. Undoubtedly, the vendor will eagerly share his answer, along with a tasty sample to reinforce the point, and your kids will have just witnessed learning outside of the classroom in its purest form.
As you can see, an eco-friendly act does not have to be monumental to move mountains for children. Some very simple things buying and discussing organic foods, getting kids' hands dirty in the garden, promoting the thrill of exercise over the kill of a car's carbon footprint, and supporting local farmers will work to leave a positive imprint on the minds and actions of our children for a lifetime to come.
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