Three Websites for Eco-Kids
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With the influx of environmental information permeating the web, it’s no surprise that sites targeting kids are popping up all over. Plenty of organizations are creating niche websites that get kids involved with the environment and sustainability, using bright colors, games, links, and activities geared. Here are three of the better ones, that are well worth clicking around (even big kids!)
The EPA’s Environmental Kids Club website is strong on science, and there are plenty of activities for kids if you poke around. There’s a downloadable activity book, an online coloring book and a cool game exploring recycling. Their Climate Change website is a great resource for explaining global warming to kids, although their tips for how kids can fight global warming are kind of unrealistic (what kid has the resources to get solar panels for their home?). There’s also a link to info for teenagers. This site is well worth a look if you need activities for your children.
PBS’s EekoWorld is very cool. Kids can explore different ecosystems, and there are cute cartoons that discuss recycling, solid waste, pollution. I loved the “field trip to the future” where kids see what the planet might be like if humans continue to live in an unsustainable manner, and the Eeko House feature is a great way to teach kids how to make sustainable choices. Kids “tour” a house and click on different dilemma’s where they must decide which option is more sustainable. When washing dishes with your mom, do you dry with paper towels or a rag? It’s a great way to introduce kids into consciousness about their actions.
The Rodale Institute’s kids website, KidsRegen is probably the most extensive of the three websites I’ve mentioned as far as diversity of information. There are pages for gardening, farming, and food (including kid-friendly recipes), three areas I noticed the other sites for kids often omitted. There’s also a section on health and fitness with different outdoor activities to get kids up and moving; I particularly appreciated the scavenger hunt checklists and the extensive curriculum for teachers of elementary-aged children. Really, this is my favorite site of the three because of the sheer volume of content and the site’s more holistic approach to green living.
Many of the sites have links for parents and teacher with resources for activities and lesson plans to use in the home or classroom, so check them out, particularly if you homeschool. Even adults can find things to appreciate here. What other green sites for kids do you use?
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