How to Talk to Kids about the Climate Crisis
Talking to kids about climate change can be difficult, but it’s important to equip children with the knowledge and tools they need to be a part of the solution. Open and honest conversations are crucial to answering their questions, discovering positive actions they can take, and most importantly, giving them hope for a better future.
Using resources and expertise from educators, scientists and parents, we’ve compiled 3 ways you can foster meaningful conversations about climate change with your family.
1. Start Early, Talk Often
It’s never too early to teach our young ones about the significance of the natural world around them. Kids will most likely learn about climate change in school, so we suggest priming those difficult conversations by teaching them to love and care for our planet. Going outdoors and experiencing the joys of nature is the best way to inspire kids (and adults) to protect our earth.
Once your kids get a little older, they will start to learn about climate change, pollution, and their effects on our planet and its living inhabitants. It’s important to have continuous discussion with them about these serious realities, at all stages of your child’s development.
Resources:
Use the informative guide from Science Moms to navigate meaningful conversations with your child depending on their age and school level.
Explore our Activities Page to find learning activities you can do with your kids outdoors to inspire them to love and protect nature.
2. Focus on Actions and Hope
Learning about devastation caused by climate change, such as wildfires, floods, and animal extinction, can deeply trouble young children. It’s important to help them process the grief, anger, or fear they may experience. By validating their emotions, rather than trying to cheer them up or change the subject, kids will learn that the climate crisis is a serious issue and that nature is worth saving.
It’s also important to connect their feelings to a sense of hope by showing them that they have the ability to help save the earth. Widespread, global policy change is needed to stop and reverse the climate crisis. However, individual actions are a great way kids can get involved and be empowered to make climate positive choices.
Use the checklist below to help your kids cope with their climate anxiety and take small but meaningful actions to protect the planet they love.
3. Keep Learning Together
Kids and adults alike should continue to educate themselves about the climate crisis—it’s not going away anytime soon! Many children will learn more about global warming than their parents, so you need to stay informed about climate change alongside your kids.
Your kids will have a lot of questions that wrestle with difficult topics. It’s important to answer their questions and encourage honest conversations. That’s a tall order, and we don’t have all the answers. Luckily there are many great resources you can use to keep learning and talking about these issues together.
We’ve compiled lists of our favorite, most impactful books, videos, TED Talks, and online resources for you and your family to use.