How to Have Fun While You Teach Kids about Climate Change

Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, I have a bevy of information for you to apply in your classroom or family.

We all want to teach today’s kids about the importance of being responsible and taking steps, however small, to protect the environment, right?

And we want our children to understand the importance of supporting efforts to reduce additional environmental damage caused by climate change.

Well, I have resources for you today that will make your job a little easier.

Below you’ll find a list of websites that are designed for children to engage with and learn from.

Educational Videos for Your Kids to Watch and Enjoy

The videos listed here are primarily for pre-K to early elementary school-aged kids.

Climate change: This is what the creators of this video say about it: This video is part of a teaching material about climate change for the younger children. The film is rather long [5 minutes], and the reason for this is to give the teacher a chance to explain the content to the pupils, and to discuss with them what is happening throughout the film.”

Environmental protection: Using the soundtrack to Lord of the Rings, this video features children talking about steps kids can take to protect the environment. This video has 269,047 views so far.

Water conservation: In this fun little video, two boys get together for a sleepover, and one teaches the other about water conservation. If you live on the West Coast, this would be a great video to show younger kids.

Trees: This is the creator’s description of the video: “Albert is a curious three-year-old boy who relies on his best friend, Junior, to answer all the questions he has about the world. When Albert's mom suggests something – he begins to wonder ... why does it rain; what is the biggest animal in the world; what is the highest mountain? When his buddy Junior responds, the viewers are taken on a journey of discovery as the answers to Albert's questions are revealed by the always smart and investigative, Junior.”

Websites that Promote Environmental Protection And Teach Kids about Climate Change

NASA’s Climate Kids: This website provides information and games for children. It also provides resources for teachers on how to teach kids about climate change.

Environmental Protection Agency: This website is dedicated entirely to teachers to help them learn more about environmental issues.

Kids.gov: This website is conveniently divided into sections for kids between the ages of K-5 and 6 – 8. It also has resources specifically for teachers and parents.

Eeeko World: The website has information about the environment, in general, garbage and recycling, air and water issues, and plants and animals. There’s also a future virtual field trip. The logo is a talking, animated monkey. I found him to be quite annoying, but your younger kids might think he’s cute.

Tiki the Penguin: You can tell by the website’s name that this is a website for kids about climate change. The website endeavors to teach kids various issues affecting climate change through the use of comical drawings,

Children of the Earth: This is what the creators of the website say: “At this time of global imbalance, we believe it is imperative that the children of the earth join together to create a healthier planet. We believe that an effective way to make this happen is to educate the general public on ecological concepts and to provide a forum for people to share their knowledge and ideas with each other. Children of the Earth United aims to accomplish these objectives through a free comprehensive, interactive educational information system accessible through the Internet and through specific educational programs geared towards mainstream society.”

Energy Kids: This is a wonderful website that has a fun design (no annoying monkeys that talk) and is informative. There suggested games and activities, a section for teachers, and tips on how to save energy. It even provides an energy calculator for teachers to use.

Flying Wild: This website is targeted for a middle-school audience. The site includes hands-on classroom and outdoor field experiences and project-based classroom applications. It’s perfect for teachers.

Environmental Science: If you have a high-school-aged daughters or sons, this is the perfect website for your kids. The website discusses career options and information on scholarships. It’s a comprehensive website for the college-bound student.

Elizabeth B. Martin is the author and illustrator of six picture books for children. You can view her books here for free.