Teaching Toddlers About the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

One of the many things I plan on teaching my daughter to do as she grows is to respect the earth, and to take care of it for her own benefit and that of future generations. 

As Earth Day approached this year, though, I thought, how do I communicate this to a little, 15-month-old girl in a way that is meaningful and fun?

When I volunteered to host the most recent meeting for my mommy group and our kids (all of whom are under 2 years old), I decided I would use that forum to explore the three R's—reduce, reuse and recycle—as they apply to the tiniest of earthlings.  

As I began to plan, I realized I should probably focus on just one “R” and chose recycling. Using some leftover boxes, bags and aluminum foil I had around the house, I decorated one for “plastic” and one for “cans.”  

All the moms who participated brought either empty cans or empty water bottles, and after reading Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration we had the kids sort the recyclables into the appropriate boxes. We described the cans and bottles with adjectives to boost their vocabulary, and gave them lots of praise for getting the items into the right box.  

It was a brief enough lesson for their nanosecond attention spans and simple enough for them to grasp quickly.

To celebrate in coming years, we might be able to take them on a “recycle” walk, maybe show them how to grow a simple garden and make a watering can out of a plastic jug, or even do a beach clean-up. For now, the sorting of cans and bottles is a good start!

Some other Earth Day stories that tell what you can do with the family: