Teach Composting To Your Children to Help Them Connect Better With the Environment
posted on Sep 25, 2020
As our kids grow up, one of the many qualities that we hope to see in them is a sense of environmental awareness. In a world where pollution is more rampant than ever, and the ozone layer is getting depleted a little more each year, instilling the ideas of environmental protection in young minds is a dire necessity. But, how do we inculcate these ideas in our children’s mind?
At Gurukul the School, regarded as the best school of Ghaziabad, we have always been a firm believer in the fact that one of the finest forms of learning is the hands-on approach, and that applies to this situation, as well. After all, we cannot teach our children about Mother Earth and her environment solely through the books. As such, a practical method of learning, such as composting, can be a highly effective way of helping children connect better with the environment.
With that being said, here’s outlining the three main ways in which teaching composting can aid children to connect better with the environment.
A lesson into reducing wastes from the environment
The significance of reducing wastes from the planet is one of the first lessons children get to learn when they start understanding the detrimental impacts of the increasing pollution. And, composting gives them a closer look at how they can help the environment by doing their bid to reduce wastes.
They start to fathom the actual workings of the three R’s (recycle, reuse, and reduce) of environmental management. Whenever they throw anything in that compost bin, it also brings a realization that all of that garbage and more end up filling our overflowing landfills.
So, when we teach our children to save kitchen scraps or garden leaves for composting, we also give them a glimpse into a viable way of doing their part in environmental conservation.
Developing a better appreciation for the lifecycles on earth
We believe that composting is also a great way to teach children about the soil, the life cycle, and how they can help in nurturing both. They get a clear idea of how waste material can be converted into nutrient-rich soil for the plants.
Moreover, they learn how various materials break down by the chemical processes operational within the soil. Our children even develop an understanding of the effect of temperature in a complex ecological process like composting.
Thus, all in all, getting children involved in the process of composting wastes is like giving them a physics, chemistry, and biology lesson all at once while also strengthening their bond with Mother Nature.
Children learn the importance of all life forms on the planet
Children start learning about microorganisms and their importance to our environment from a young age. We teach them how the earthworms help in turning the soil and how the slugs help in making the soil more nutrient-rich than ever. However, composting gives them an actual look at the value of the slugs and worms to our ecosystem.
It is simply fascinating to realize how even the smallest of creatures have their roles to play in our ecosystem, and we believe that this realizing makes our children more appreciative of all life forms on earth.
So, we can decidedly draw the conclusion that composting is as great for the environment as it is for our children. It connects them to the environment and gives them a firsthand experience into how they can directly impact the earth that sustains them. Thus, we, at Gurukul The School, would like to suggest the parents to encourage their children to get involved in planting and gardening activities from an early age. This way, you will not only aid them in understanding the process of composting but will also help them recognize the responsibility they owe towards the environment.