Six year olds are such sponges! It’s amazing how much they can pick up about their parents’ priorities and values. Mine is already way into recycling, is adamantly against McDonalds (too greasy and bad for you!) and Starbucks (thinks they put his favorite local coffee shop out of business) and he understands the importance of ‘power food’ to make your body strong. The other day Drew asked me if gasoline was made in the pumps at the gas station. That led to an interesting discussion about alternative fuels and how all that grease from McDonalds can be used to run cars! Those little minds are so open and interested – and since they will be our future activists – let’s get ’em started now!
A lot of cities have ‘green’ fairs and expos where you can get tons of info on how to help your family live green. They offer great activities for kids too. In fact, one of Drew’s favorite things at the Minnesota State Fair this year was the Eco-Experience exhibit – he LOVED the interactive computer game about recycling and thought that Garbage Mountain was super cool! Here’s a link to find an eco-fair near you – although Minnesota’s Living Green Expo and Wisconsin’s Midwest Renewable Energy Fair were missing from the list.
Having a garden is another great way to teach your child about eating well and being kind to the earth. And there’s nothing quite like picking your own little harvest of vegetables from the garden – especially for a child!
Drew and his best bud Nils picked a basket full of tomatoes and (purple!) peppers:
Drew created this special dish for us the other night:
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