7 Ways to Green Your School
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Movie Night: Celebrate the earth and raise environmental awareness with a family movie night at your school, or host an evening screening at your home. Films like Fern Gully, WALL-E and Whale Rider are good choices for kids. For a parentsonly screening that is certain to spark discussion, choose documentaries such as Food, Inc. or An Inconvenient Truth or the mesmerizing Koyaanisqatsi. Visit MotherNatureNetwork.com for a list of the best environmental movies of all time. Swap It Out: Kids outgrow their bikes, skates, shoes and clothes faster than you can say “landfill.” Don’t toss anything out. Chances are, a kid at your school can use the cleats your daughter outgrew last season. Host a swap meet in the gym or parking lot and ask parents to bring in clothes or sports equipment their kids aren’t using now. Anyone who brings in a donation can “swap” for an item they need. A swap meet helps teach kids that there is still value in used goods and provides a tangible example of the benefits of recycling.
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Plant a Garden: If your school doesn’t have a garden, volunteer to dig up a corner of dirt and plant one. The plot doesn’t have to be vast, just big enough to get kids involved in its care. A school garden is the perfect place for them to learn where healthy food comes from. Check out EdibleSchoolYard.org for resources, tips and inspiration about “edible education.” Host a Fair: Earth Day is the perfect opportunity for a festival to celebrate the environment, but you can organize a fair anytime. Set up booths where parents host activities for the kids. Feature a craft using recyclable materials to create jewelry or sculpture. Display a solar cooker and teach kids how to make one of their own. Create a game where children guess how many pounds of grain, or how many gallons of water, it takes to create one pound of beef. Host a “crop swap” booth, where people can bring produce that is overabundant in their garden and trade it for items they need.
A school garden is the perfect place for kids to learn where healthy food comes from.
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