Disney not only wants to make kids dreams come true, but they also want to help kids celebrate nature and they are hosting the Disney Kids and Nature Celebration, in Orlando and among all the fun activites that they have planned they will be showing kids how to have fun with nature!
Kids are connect to nature through trips to the zoo, collecting autumn leaves, reading Ranger Rick and playing outside. Here is the thing, alot of kids aren’t getting enough nature today. We need to teach our kids to love the earth and love nature.
We are stoked to talk with Richard Louv, a Disney partner and author of several bestselling books and we couldn’t wait to share with you his top tips for getting kids to celebrate nature.
1. Get nostalgic. Take a moment to talk to a grandparent – or even a peer – about his or her favorite nature memories from childhood – was it skipping stones? A favorite picture book about elephants? Drawing horses? Climbing trees? These simple memories might be enough to remind you just how easy it can be to make nature part of your own parenting style.
2. Think manageable. Connecting kids with nature doesn’t require a family trip to Yellowstone (phew). What it really takes is getting your kids curious about animals, wildlife and the outdoors – the world beyond their house and school. What do baby turtles eat? Why do leaves change colors? How do fish breath underwater? What kind of insect is that in your backyard? Hikes, museums, books and videos can all help spark that fascination.
3. Teach early lessons. Intuitively, we know kids need to learn about and appreciate nature. But what are the real benefits? For one, it’s a sensory explosion for their young minds. Reading about how birds build nests, watching a baby elephant play, touching a sheep’s coat, smelling a rose or digging a carrot out of the soil — all of this stimulates curiosity in young minds. More important, however, is that it instills a love of nature. And if our kids love nature – won’t they be more likely to protect it?
