Don't Judge
Try to live an entire day without judging people. Don't assume that someone who looks mean or unpleasant is always that way.
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ACT NOW! One way kids can make a difference todayDecember 18, 2011
Try Something New
Read a book you wouldn't ordinarily read. Learn about a historical figure you don't know much about. Volunteer at a retirement home. In other words, just for today--venture into the unknown. December 15, 2011
Keep Moving Forward
Everyone makes mistakes. Don't waste time thinking about what you did wrong or could have done better. Don't think about the things you don't have in life. Regrets do nothing but weigh us down. Just keep moving forward and learning and growing. November 19, 2011
Take The Cool Food Pledge
Did you know that the way you eat affects the environment? Take the Cool Food Pledge and help prevent Global Warming. Learn more about the pledge here. November 3, 2011
Get Some New Ideas
Learn about recycling. Visit a recycling center in your town and make a list of all the items that can be recycled. You might be surprised at what you find. October 27, 2011
Watch Nature Programs
Watch programs about nature. You'll be amazed at what you learn. Many channels carry these excellent programs, including the Discovery Channel, PBS, and National Geographic. October 19, 2011
Buy Sustainable Fish
When your family buys fish, look for a checkmark in a blue oval. It shows that the fish is coming from a green source. To learn more and see the label (upper lefthand corner), go here. September 14, 2011
Make A Butterfly Feeder
Fill a large saucer with sand and soil and put it where pets can't get it. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Add a little water each day. Put a flat rock in the middle of the saucer (for a platform), with a little maple syrup on one end of the rock. September 12, 2011
Support Your Community
Buy food and other items at locally owned stores. Buy fruits and veggies from farmer's markets. Attend school and other local events and learn about your community. August 11, 2011
Listen
Let other people tell you their story. It's amazing how much you can learn from hearing others tell about their lives. July 29, 2011
Animal Sounds
Listen to the sounds the animals around you make. Then see if you can identify each animal by its sound. Go here. July 28, 2011
Who's Living In Your Yard?
When the weather's warm and dry, place a clean, lidless glass jar top down in a hole in the ground in your yard and leave it overnight. The next day, check to see the critters you've collected. Then tip them out and let them go. July 19, 2011
Help The Thirsty
Play a geography game. For every correct answer, the sponsors will donate a cup of water to someone who needs it. go here. June 18, 2011
Don't Buy Ivory
Don’t buy items made of ivory. Over 80% of all ivory comes from the illegal killing of elephants. June 8, 2011
Trees Count
Read children's books with a positive environmental message. For example, THIS TREE COUNTS! by Alison Formento shows children all the ways that trees make our world a better place. June 7, 2011
Virtual Forest
Play Virtual Forest, a game that will teach you how to make better choices to help our planet. Go here. June 4, 2011
Try Something New
Once a week, try a new food, read an article on a subject you think you're not interested in, or try a new activity. Step out of your comfort zone! June 3, 2011
A Healthy Environment
Learn all the ways people are trying to keep our environment healthy. Go here. May 11, 2011
Use Hemp Paper
Paper made from hemp uses only a quarter of the land that paper made from timber does. Learn other facts about hemp here. May 2, 2011
Learn About Other Cultures
The world is a big place. Go to the library. Find a book about a country and culture you want to learn more about. April 29, 2011
Learn About Trees
Trees make a community beautiful, and they provide homes and food for many animals. When you play around trees, don't break off limbs and don't injure the bark. To learn more about trees go here. April 27, 2011
Worms Are Wonderful!
Are there worms in your backyard? If so, don't kill them. Worms help break down dead plants and animals, making the soil rich and fertile. Learn more about worms here. April 22, 2011
Today Is Earth Day
Write a poem or draw a picture to celebrate Earth Day. Here's a poem to get you started: I'm glad the sky is colored blue; And the earth is colored green; With such a lot of nice fresh air All sandwiched in between. April 18, 2011
Learn About The Earth
1. If you walked around the Earth at the Equator, you would have to travel 24,901.5 miles to get back to where you started. 2. If you took a short cut and traveled in a straight line through the center of the Earth, you would go nearly 8,000 miles. 3. Only 30% of the Earth's surface is dry land. 4. About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. 5. The highest point is Mt. Everest, which is 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level. 6. The lowest point on land is the Dead Sea, which is 1312 feet(400 meters) below sea level. 7. Of all the water in the world, only about 3% is fresh water (the kind you can drink). April 16, 2011
Learn How The Earth Recycles
Bury an apple core, some orange peels, a piece of a styrofoam cup, and a piece of ordinary paper together in one hole. Write the date down (and the place you buried the items) to remind you to dig them up in three months. When you dig them up--which items have started to decay? Which look the same? The items that are decaying are becoming part of the Earth again. Is this a good thing? April 14, 2011
Volunteer To Help Others
Volunteer at a local museum. If there is a children’s museum close by, older children can donate time decorating, cleaning up, and being a helper to younger children April 13, 2011
Look At The Stars
Go somewhere very dark. Lie on your back and look up at the stars. Did you know that there are about 100 billion stars in our galaxy? And did you know that there are 100 billion galaxies in the universe? (Those are only the ones astronomers can see.) If you had a very powerful telescope, you would see thousands of stars where you see only blackness now. Think about our amazing universe. If you'd like to learn more, go here. April 7, 2011
How Do Plants Grow?
Place some soil in a Ziploc bag, add some water and a few kernels of popcorn. Seal the bag and place it in a sunny window. You should see some growth within a week. Don't forget to recycle the plastic bag. April 6, 2011
Read About Children Who Are Helping Others
Read about children who are helping others and get ideas about ways you can help. Go here. April 4, 2011
Learn About Spiders
Don't kill spiders. There are at least 40,000 species of spiders, and they all eat insects and help keep them under control. Learn more about spiders here. April 1, 2011
Face Your Fears
When something scares you, stay calm. Think about all the ways you can solve your problem. Then pick the best one, and do it. Even brave people are often afraid. But they try their best anyway. March 26, 2011
Remember To Be Grateful
Think of all the good things in your life. Everybody has things to be grateful for. March 25, 2011
Build A Birdfeeder
Learn about the birds that are local to your area. You can make an easy bird feeder by mixing birdseed, bread crumbs, and peanut butter and smearing it on a pinecone. Then hang it from the branch of a tree. March 16, 2011
Learn About Whales
Whales are amazing animals! Learn more about them and how they are threatened by whaling and global warming. Go here. March 14, 2011
Look For Heroes
Is there someone you admire? Think of something you can do to be more like that person. March 12, 2011
Take Risks
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. When you do, correct them and then keep working toward your goal February 18, 2011
Build A Solar Oven!
The sun is a great source of renewable energy. Here's a simple way you can use the sun's heat to cook a hot dog. 1. Cut a square hole in the top of a large pizza box. The hole should be almost as big as the top of the box. 2. Line the inside bottom of the pizza box with aluminum foil. 3. Open the lid of the pizza box and place a hot dog on top of the aluminum foil. Close the lid. 4. Cover the top of the pizza box with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap will hold the sun's heat inside of the solar oven. 5. Set the box outside in an area that's getting full sun. 6. Watch the food cook through the plastic wrap. Cooking speed will depend on the how hot it is outside. February 8, 2011
The Amazing Sun
Without the sun, there would be no life on earth. It is bigger than anything we can really imagine--a million planet earths would fit inside it! It takes millions of years for the energy from the center of the sun to reach the sun's surface, and then just eight minutes for it to travel the 93 million miles to earth. The sun gives off more energy in one second than people have used since the beginning of time. Plants make food out of sunlight, and then animals eat plants, and then we eat animals (or maybe we just eat plants, if we're vegetarians). Without sunlight, plants couldn't make food, and there would be nothing for us to eat. Not only could plants not make food without the sun, they also couldn't make oxygen, and no animals could breathe, including us. The sun produces nearly all the heat on the planet, too--without it, the earth would be freezing cold--minus hundreds of degrees Fahrenheit, almost as cold as space. The sun also makes the wind blow and the ocean currents flow. Its heat makes clouds, rain, snow, and all the weather on our planet, too. February 1, 2011
Be Sensitive To Others
Can you tell how the people around you are feeling? Play a game and learn to understand others' emotions here. January 29, 2011
Cycles Of Nature
Monarch butterflies, caribou, whooping cranes, and whales migrate, or travel, from one place to another. Learn about the life cycles of the wonderful animals with whom we share the planet here. January 17, 2011
What Can I Do?
Many children's authors are concerned about preserving the Earth. Visit author Dan Gutman's site to learn more here. January 11, 2011
Pay Attention
Pay attention to the beautiful world around you--from the delicate shape of a snowflake to the veins of a leaf to the changing colors of the sky. You only go this way once--make the most of it. |
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