Looking for ideas on how to stop global warming for kids? We created 12 colouring pages outlining some practical and attainable ideas on how to help the environment!
My son has been watching David Attenborough’s videos ever since he was a toddler. Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Conquest of the Skies were among his favourite shows, and why not? There are few more relaxing ways to spend time in front of a TV than watching clips from around our amazing planet and listening to the soothing voice of the famous British naturalist.
It was not surprising then that he wanted to watch David Attenborough: a Life on Earth. We knew enough to understand that it would be a different movie – less about the wonders of our planet and more about the problems it’s facing. We wanted to watch it anyway, and we never regretted it. In a way, that movie was a turning point for me. It definitely was for my son. Suddenly he knew about climate change.
There was definitely enough talking about the environment in our childhood as well, but at that point, it seemed quite far away. It has been different for my son. The message delivered to him in the voice of a kindly old man drove home that climate change is happening right now and that its detrimental effects will escalate in the prime of his adult life. He was shocked and concerned. He wanted to do something. But what to do?
That is a question we have since discussed many times, as we watched more movies, read more books and researched that topic together. We came up with a few different answers, and I would like to share them here with other families and educators who are also concerned and looking for ideas on how to stop global warming for kids.
12 Climate Action Colouring Pages
In order to make the ideas more interactive and personal, I turned them into 12 colouring pages, describing ways to stop global warming for kids. Each page makes one general suggestion, followed by an explanation of how it matters and some practical examples of what can be done to help.
Colouring Page Example
For instance, one of the pages suggests “Grow a Garden”. It is followed by the explanation that growing plants is beneficial for the environment in general, but also important for limiting our reliance on food transported from afar. It also mentions that if growing a garden isn’t a possibility, other options include buying more locally grown products and eating more produce that is locally in season.
Climate Change Giant Poster
Furthermore, the colouring pages can be assembled into a giant poster. Colouring big is fun! And if you have many children participating in this activity, it can provide the opportunity for collaborative work.
Text or No Text?
Not all the colouring pages in the pack come with text. If your children find text distracting or simply want to try the different activity shown below, there is a separate set of pages that have no text.
The pages without text are complemented with a set of information cards that can be used for setting up a mix-and-match activity.
More Ways to Stop Global Warming
On top of that, I have also included blank templates that kids can use for drawing extensions to the poster. They can illustrate their own ideas for helping the environment or draw something they have already done in the past.
Can We Do It All?
Last, but not least – I would especially like to stress that there are many situations in which it is impossible or inadvisable to act on all of the suggested ideas. For instance, some people live in remote areas and cannot limit driving; other people don’t have space for a garden. Make sure that your children know it is okay. We can still act responsibly in other ways—and maybe work a little harder to offset our “carbon footprint” in ways that work in our situation.
Of course, you can also exclude some colouring pages altogether. If you use all twelve, you will have a 3×4 poster of a house. But you can make it smaller – or bigger if you add custom pages created by your children!
12 Ideas on How to Stop Global Warming – for Kids
This is the list of general ideas you will find inside the environmental colouring pages pack, together with explanations as to why it matters and what else we can do. I tried to keep the list focused on areas where children have some say. In the end, some of these actions can be done by children on their own, while some others are more about making the choice as a family, providing that children can voice their opinions too.
- Eat more plant-based food.
- Buy less and fix more.
- Recycle and compost.
- Save energy.
- Grow a garden or buy local food.
- Plant trees or support organizations that do it.
- Choose eco-friendly products (reusable/faster to decompose/not harmful to the environment).
- Find or start a group.
- Limit car use.
- Fly less.
- Support clean energy.
- Write to your politicians.
Get the Colouring Poster!
More Activities to Discuss Environmental Problems
Our Endangered Animals game introduces kids to the topic of endangered species, threats to their survival, and efforts being made to protect them.
Use our Earth trivia game and learn more about our amazing planet! While the game’s primary focus is on all the wonders that our planet holds, it also prompts environmental awareness. The cards on pollution and endangered species particularly explore topics of concern in detail.
