How To Teach Your Kids Amazing Earth Facts

Start a compost bin. Include a banana peel and an aluminum can, noting that the peel will decompose in about four weeks, while the can will take 200 to 500 years.

Take a walk and see how many different animals, insects, and plants you can spot. Tell your kids that at the current rate between 20 and 500 plant and animal species will disappear from the planet in the next year.

Measure off 6 percent of your house with your kids. Have half your household stand in that area and explain that this is comparable to the rainforest, which covers just 6 percent of the Earth but provides a habitat for 50 percent of all living things.

Have your kids write down things they can do to help the planet. Tell them that even simple changes can make a big difference — just turning off the faucet when they’re brushing their teeth can save 240 gallons of water a month.