Helping Kids Help The Earth (NAPSA)—It can be easy to help kids think green. Experts say the key is to make any lesson you teach about the environment personal, fun and interesting. They offer these tips: * Recycle Some Stories— Tell your child stories about when you grew up and whenyoufirst realized it was important to be environmentally conscious. If there were no communitywide recycling programs when you grew up, talk to your child about that. Ask her why she thinks more people recycle now than in the past and if she thinks it is important to recycle. * The Call Of The Wild— Take a trip to the zoo or the park. Tell your child about the animals the two of you encounter and talk about what animals you liked as a child. Find out what your child’s favorite animals are and help him learn more about them. Taketrips to the library together or do little online research. * A Day In The Park—Organize a park cleanup day in the community. Start by contacting your child’s friends’ parents and asking them to participate. Then talk to friends and neighbors. Try to have as many kids involved as possible, so the event seems fun for the children. After the cleanup, talk to your child about other ways you could help clean up the community. She may have some ideas that surprise you. * Seeing Is Believing—The next time you have movie night with your child, consider watching Whimsical stories about nature can help teach kids to think green. a kid-friendly film with an environmental message. For instance, Fox recently released “FernGully: The Last Rainforest” Family Fun Edition on DVD. In the animated movie, Crysta the magical tree fairy comes across a group of construction machines that are tearing down the rainforest. She accidentally shrinks one of the workers down to fairy size. Once small, the worker meets the creatures of the rainforest and realizes he must help save the land, not destroy it. For information, visit www.foxhome.com. The movie can be a fun way to help teach an important lesson. * Lights Out—Put your child in charge of conserving power in your house. Ask her to monitor the house lights and be sure they are all switched off at night and before you leave your home. Explain to her why it is so important to conserve power and that each person can help make a difference.
