Caring about our planet Earth is something the whole family can do. You can teach children about their responsibility in being good stewards of God’s Creation. After all, God place Adam and Eve in the garden to tend and care for it.
In Proverbs 22:6, the Bible says that we should “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
There is also a verse in Ephesians 6:4 which says that “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” It is important to keep this as guidance for our families.
The Lord has given us a lot of his teachings, and we should embrace them to help shape our lives and the lives of our children. When you take into consideration that the Lord wants us to diligently teach the future generation about His will and His love, we experience a joy that is not like any other.
So, how do you start your children on the way that they should go when it comes to taking care of Creation? Here are some useful opportunities.
Conservation projects
You can start by doing some conservation projects. Conservation projects are not like any other school project. They teach your children the value of preserving a specific area of nature because tomorrow is not just for the present generation but it is for future generations as well.
Picking up litter
One simple activity that could help teach your children about the value of caring for the environment is picking up litter. Picking up litter at a park or around the neighborhood is one of those things that can help your children see the value of their work immediately. Of course, take caution to provide proper gloves and bags to avoid anything sharp or contaminated.
Feeding the birds
You can also teach your children about how they can care for nature by helping them feed the birds. Feeding the birds or simply filling up the bird feeder gives them a responsibility that is not like any other. It shows them that they can care for God’s creatures without expecting anything in return. It can be done at a very low cost, and children can enjoy their efforts by watching the birds come and eat. They can even try to take photos of the birds as a memory of their care.
Public garden projects
Public garden projects are projects that you can do not just with your children but with the children of the neighborhood and others as well. When you do a public garden project, you help children see that by everyone giving a helping hand, they can get the job done. This is exactly what makes a project worthwhile—people working together for the common good while caring for nature and Creation.
Public garden projects show your children that hard work and teamwork is good for them in getting outdoor exercise while learning to get along and work with others.
Take them to the park
A simple way that you can teach your children about how they can care for nature is by bringing them to the park. When children see nature, they tend to ask a lot of questions.
Take the opportunity to teach them how various parts of nature work together for everyone’s benefit. A park experience will help your children to be curious about the many things around them and how important every part is.
Help your children appreciate nature
Your children can learn to love being out in nature. It is up to you to make this opportunity available. Once they have fallen in love with nature, they can definitely see why they need to take care of the environment more.
We are certain that you can help your children embrace the world outdoors, and they will be less likely to become addicted to electronic gadgets.
Reading Creation Illustrated magazine with its stunning photography and uplifting Bible-based nature articles will help you expose your family to various animals and other parts of God’s Creation.
Other ways to expose children to nature
In addition to parks, you can expose children to nature by camping and hiking on trails that will help your children see the beauty and wonder of nature.
When the weather is bad, you can occasionally watch nature shows and animal shows, or documentaries. You can teach and discuss with your children how they can help care for various aspects of nature. Come up with ideas as a family on how to avoid too much waste or things that can hurt the environment.
Finally, you can always teach your children about nature by buying books and magazines that focus on the Creator and His creation. Creation Illustrated is the magazine that you can trust for this matter. Readers call it, “The Christian answer to National Geographic!”
The Time Is Now
Some parents might ask when is the perfect time for them to teach their children about nature and how to love and care for it. We always say that the best time to do it is now!
It does not matter if you already have grown children or if you have small children. The thing that matters the most is the fact that you seize any opportunity to make sure your children have at least some knowledge of how they can better take care of their surroundings.
Find joy in teaching your children about how helpful they can be as caretakers of God’s Creation! When they grow older, they will not depart from it.
