Teaching Your Younger Children about Climate Change
Tips for introducing two- to seven-year-old children to climate change
If you have small children curious about the world, you may be wondering:
- Should I introduce them to climate change? Will it be too scary or too complicated for them?
- At what age should I introduce this crucial issue?
- What is the best way to introduce the climate crisis to them so they will understand?
I am of the belief that we need to prepare our children for the challenges of the world in which they will live. Luckily the experts say that we can do that in fun, age-appropriate ways from the time they are very young.
Caroline Hickman, a psychotherapist in the U.K. connected with the Climate Psychology Alliance, recommends teaching children about climate change beginning at age two to three.
Another expert, Wendy Greenspun, a New York-based clinical psychologist engaged in climate issues, says that by introducing the topic early, we can set them up for later learning when they are old enough to understand more complex information.
Since children of different ages are in different developmental phases, it is important to engage them in a way that fits their…
