Children are naturalists by nature. They want to explore and dissect the earth. They posses an innate movement toward living things, be it dirt, bugs, trees or dogs.

But if a child has never been to the forest, what does the loss of the spotted owl mean to them?  

People tend to invest in issues that apply to their personal lives, and children are no exception. “Children respond to hands on activities in which they feel they have buy-in,” says Dave Massey, Director of Education at the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM). “Our classes are built around activities and our instructors create risk-free environments where children feel free to express their ideas and ask questions.”  

Before taking his current position at the Natural History Museum, Massey was a science teacher at Chet F. Harrit School in Santee for 32 years. As the director of a stream restoration project for 13 of those years, he saw firsthand the impact that fieldwork had on his students. “For most of [the] students the experience was their first in nature that didn’t involve some type of off-road vehicle.”  

“Unfortunately, research and our experience indicate that many parents are not elevating their children’s environmental awareness or understanding,” says Massey. But with these proven approaches utilized by SDNHM, any parent, caregiver or educator can kickstart a child’s environmental education. 

Take your children outside. Seems like a simple mantra, easily said and done. But according to the Child & Nature Network, a nationwide movement to integrate children into the outdoors, we are doing less of it than ever. “Making outdoor family outings a frequent activity is a wonderful, and usually inexpensive, method by which to immerse children in the natural experience,” says Massey. “Whether it’s a city park or a county, state or national campground, having kids out-of-doors inspires observations and questions.” 

Select Age Appropriate Exercises. Helping build a compost bin or keeping a logbook of animal sightings will engage a middle school child. “We have found that older students, middle and high school, respond to learning situations where they feel they can make a difference,” says Massey. “Area clean-ups lead by the Museum’s volunteer group…are very popular with middle and high school students.”  

Younger children do not respond to activities that are too complex or foreign. They thrive on tactile or sensory activities in a familiar setting – such as a scavenger hunt in the backyard or a local park. Create a theme like “Parts of a Tree,” with bark, moss and leaves on the hunt list. After everyone has gathered the materials, engage in after-activity dialogue, such as “How does the bark feel?” “What color is the moss?”   

Prepare to Engage. Research has shown that children respond better to field trips when prepared by a pre-trip workshop or activity. “Provide children with reading and activity books that will prepare them for what they are going to see on a trip for the car or airplane ride to the destination as opposed to plugging them into a video they have viewed repeated times before,” suggests Massey.  

Encourage research. Massey urges parents “not to feel as if they have to provide immediate answers to all of their children’s questions. Turning a question that a child has ask around to, ‘That’s a great question, let’s look that up on the Internet (or at the library)’ models excellent research techniques that the children will use later in life and ensures that an accurate response is provided as opposed to what one thinks one knows.” 

Crafty Idea: Earth Journal