Lockdown Day 4 – Earth Hour
MARCH 28TH 2020 – 20:30 – EARTH HOUR
Although Earth Day is still 3.5 weeks away, how about engaging your families today in conversation and action about how we can better look after the Earth?
Have a discussion with your child/ren about this planet that we call home. We (humans) have not always done a very good job at looking after the planet and today asks us to set aside some time to think about what we could do individually to conserve our home.
Montessori wrote a lot about humankind’s cosmic task. Everything on this planet is connected and we are connected to everything. Hence what we do has an impact (intended or unintended) on everything.
For the young child, this means gaining an understanding from an early age about her/his individual responsibility. Obviously we cannot expect the 3-year-old to go and change the world as a whole, but we can expect her/him to start being mindful about the use of the Earths’s resources.
The Earth Hour movement was started in 2007 in Australia and it has steadily received more and more support over the years. This year, it has gone digital as we are not able to congregate as groups of people. This is an ideal opportunity for us all to mark this time in our own homes as well.
Here are a couple of ideas for today:
1. MEAL TIMES
After each food preparation and mealtime, engage the child in a discussion about what has not been used or eaten. Instead of scraping this all into the bin, consider what else could be done with it that would benefit the Earth. Could any animals benefit from these scraps? Are there any seeds that could be planted? What can be added to a compost heap?
Spend some time on the Internet and look for ideas for the use of household waste.
Did you know that eggshells can be crunched and sprinkled around plants and seedlings to avoid snails eating them? That is far more useful than throwing them in the bin!
2. PACKAGING MATERIALS
Involve your children in the disposal of packaging.
- Set up a washing station where yoghurt tubs can be rinsed before being put into the plastic waste.
- Set up separate containers so the children can sort the waste according to type: paper, glass, plastic and cans.
3. SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS
Children who have been armed with knowledge about why lights need to be switched off when there is no one in a room, can be the best electricity police in the house! Teach the children how the light switch works and make it their job to ensure that there is no electricity being wasted!
4. REUSE WATER WHEREVER POSSIBLE
If you have set up a washing station for the children to rinse plastic packaging for the recycling container, encourage the children to use this water to water the plants.
If you have collected water in your shower, bring this into the garden and let the children use this to water the plants.
6. EARTH HOUR 20:30
Young children may not be awake at 20:30, so consider having an Earth Hour just before they go to bed. Switch off all the lights and electronic devices and spend this time together as a family.
- Read or tell stories. Your children will be enthralled to know what you did as a child of their age.
- Have a picnic dinner in the garden or somewhere in the house on the floor by candlelight. Use the opportunity to teach the children about fire safety!
- If it is still light – take a stroll around the garden so see what you can find.
- If it is dark enough – lie on your backs and look at the sky. Download the SKYVIEW app, point your phone at the heavens and open up a whole new world (to yourselves and the children)!
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