When my daughter was three, her preschool class did a lesson on recycling. Each child was asked to bring in a piece of garbage and they talked about how their household castoffs -- egg and milk cartons, juice bottles and soda cans -- could be used for something else.
Even now, three years later, that exercise still resonates with her. She'll spy an egg carton in the trash and ask to use it for a craft or chastise me the way only a child can when she sees that I've accidentally placed a soup can in the kitchen garbage and not our recycling bin.
Preschoolers are at the perfect age to learn about recycling and taking care of our environment. They are impressionable and generally eager to find out about new things. By teaching them good earth practices now, it's likely they'll develop habits that will stay with them for their lifetime. The best part is, even if you haven't been as "green" as you would have liked up until now, by teaching your little one, it's likely you'll develop some good habits of your own.
For more on green parenting, visit the All About Parenting Blog Carnival for April, hosted by Heather Corley, the About.com Guide to baby products. If you're blogging on a topic related to kids and the environment, please feel free to submit a carnival entry to Heather.
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