Help the Earth Every Day
There are lots of ways to get involved in conservation if you're a kid. Virginia Naturally, the Commonwealth's environmental education initiative, has many children's programs. Their newsletter, which includes listings of their programs for young people, is available at the Headquarters, Porter, Salem Church and Snow library branches. Ask at the reference desk, and we'll help you find it!
The Virginia Cooperative Extension Agency offers 4-H clubs. If you are between the ages of 5 and 18, you can learn about plant and soil sciences, environmental education and natural resources as well as animal sciences from great teachers. There are 4-H clubs in Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland counties. These are hands-on activities that strongly encourage leadership development. 4-H projects are fun and can be competitive. Win a ribbon at the Virginia State Fair when you enter goats, tomatoes, or even your dog in the yearly competitions!
The next time you visit the library, check out these books for ideas on how to help the environment. Visit the suggested Web sites for games, stories, quizzes, and projects.
Good Stuff in the Library
- 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save the Earth.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 363.7 Fi - Learn how specific things in the environment are connected to the rest of the world, how using them affects the planet, and how to develop habits and projects that are environmentally sound.
- Celebrating Earth Day: A Sourcebook of Activities and Experiments by Robert Gardner
Juvenile Non-Fiction 333.7 Ga - All about Earth Day! Try activities and experiments for learning more about the Earth and how to improve its condition.
- Get Busy: How Kids Can Save the Planet.
Juvenile Videos 3.637 G39 - See what other kids are doing to help the Earth, and learn how our modern ways of living have both good and bad results for the planet.
- The Kids' Earth Handbook by Sandra Markle.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 363.7 Ma - Create a miniature ecosystem! Try these activities and experiments and see how living things interact with each other and the environment.
- Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons.
Juvenile Non-Fiction 628.4 Gi - How does recycling work? See it all from start to finish, and discover what happens to paper, glass, aluminum cans, and plastic when they are recycled.
Conservation Fun on the Web
- EPA Explorers Club
http://www.epa.gov/kids - Visit here to join the Planet Protectors Club, play games, read stories or print activity sheets to color. Some of the activities are in Spanish, as well as English.
- Earth 911: Kids
http://www.earth911.org/master.asp?s=kids&a=kids/kids.asp - Do something to protect the environment every day. Different sections for older and younger kids include games, activities, and links to other Web sites.
- Earth Day Online Games
http://www.kidsdomain.com/games/earthday.html - Learn about the environment with these games and quizzes. See how environmentally friendly your home is with a "greenness" test. Play "Shrink the Landfill" where you have $50,000 dollars to see if you can reduce the amount of trash!
- Kids Cave!
http://www.deq.state.va.us/kids - From the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, this site features quizzes, and cool things to do, like touring the Rappahannock River by canoe and visiting beautiful Virginia State Parks. Includes links to other Web sites offering games and activities for kids and science experiments to try.
- World Wildlife Federation
http://www.worldwildlife.org/fun - Games, quizzes and freebies for kids. Play the "Caught in the Act" game, and find out about the illegal trade in wild animals. Capture the smugglers by looking for clues all over the Earth!
