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Grow Your Child's Awareness About Nature

Exposing your child to the natural world from an early age can provide the sparks for life-long environmental awareness, enjoyment and necessary involvement.

Why Teach Children About Nature?

Urbanisation has lessened the contact with nature in our daily lives. This can be especially detrimental for children, who may grow up not regarding themselves as part of the environment, and may not realise that alterations made to our habitat will threaten our own survival as a people and as a species.

A child who grows up without experiencing the natural world is less likely to stand up for its protection. As parents, you can and should prepare your child to 'do his bit' in the area of environmental protection and conservation.

If you help your child cultivate the habit of loving and caring for his surroundings, he will begin to develop a sense of responsibility and belonging.

He will also grow up to become an active, responsible and caring citizen with a sense of community.

How To Teach Children About Nature

• Provide Access To Books On Nature
  You will find a great deal of children's literature that promotes environmental awareness at community libraries and bookstores.
  Immerse your child in such books at home as well, because reading about nature is the first step to raising awareness and cultivating an interest.
• Provide Practical Hands-On, Experiential Learning
  A child learns effectively if there are personal and varied learning perspectives. Hands-on activities deepen his impression and reinforce the knowledge obtained from books.
  Regularly take your child outdoors for nature walks, and visit the zoo, local parks and the beach. Let him see and smell the plants and creatures in the wild.
• Encourage Nature/Field Journal Writing
  Encourage your child to record his observations and feelings in a field journal each time he journeys out to explore nature.
  Advise him that this is a good way to preserve his memories and feelings about nature. Not only will writing help keep ideas fresh in his mind, it will also help him to share his thoughts with others later.
  Finally, and most importantly, don't forget that a love for nature starts with you, the role model for your child.

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