It’s easier to promote the ideals of Earth Day to kids these days since protecting the environment is currently hip. You’re cool if you dump your bottles, cans and papers into recycle bins. Kudos to you for wearing t-shirts and pants made from recycled materials.

These action only scratch the surface of how to heal the planet. You’ll be a savvy parent if you educate your kids of all ages about Earth Day, the deeper issues plaguing the environment (heavy traffic causes smog; improperly discarded cellphones poisons the water) - and what they can really do to help all year long.

Don’t know where to begin? Here are a few resources to assist you that won’t diminish your eco-friendly cool.

For Young Kids - GPB Kids Earth Day

As I mentioned, many kids are pretty savvy about discarding trash in its proper containers. They probably don’t know why that is a good idea. The GPB Kids block of shows that air from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Wild Kratts, Sid the Science Kid and Arthur - provide simple, good explanations with examples.

On Wild Kratts, the brothers save dying trees in the rain forest; on Sid the Science Kid, the kids learn about clean air and pollution and on Arthur, the gang deal with unwanted company, a mouse.

Here’s a clip from an Arthur episode where Francine struggles with speaking out about a polluted creek at an Earth Day rally.

Older Kids - Middle School

Sign up for PBS Learning Media and search for the lesson Sink or Swim. It’s a deeper explanation of how plastic is made suitable for certain products. Did you know plastics are classified by numbers 1-7 and that to determine what type of plastic an item is made from, one should look on the bottom of the object to find the number? This video lesson covers it all.

For more video lessons on a range of environmental topics, check out this curated search.

For High School Age Kids

High school age kids can be encouraged to explore careers in environment focused jobs. So you may want to play the White Oaks Pastures, episode of our STEM career show Fast Forward. The show covers positions you and they may not be aware existed on an organic farm.

For Kids of Every Age

This video from the Living the Green Life - Save on Energy site offers quick and easy ways for everyone in the family to conserve and maintain a green lifestyle. Check it out and try it out. Share your thoughts on additional tips you would add.