By Tanni Haas, Ph.D.
June 8 is World Oceans Day, a great occasion to teach the kids why it’s so important to protect the oceans of the world and what they can do to support that effort. Here are 15 suggestions to get started:
• A major ocean pollutant is plastic. Gather the kids and have them count how many plastic items you currently use but could easily do without. Common household items include plastic bags, cups, cutlery, straws and water bottles.
• Have the kids examine your pots and pans to see which have labels that say they’re non-stick or stain-resistant. Very often, non-stick products contain PFAS: human-made chemical compounds that break down slowly and pollute the oceans.
• Head to the supermarket and hardware stores to search for sustainable substitutes for the plastic items you discarded. Look for items like paper straws, reusable shopping bags and water bottles, stainless steel pots and pans, etc.
• Participate in a Clean The Community campaign. Explain to the kids that outdoor litter would otherwise end up going into the storm drain and eventually make its way into a water body.
• The seafood industry can harm the world’s oceans. That industry contributes to pollution and threatens endangered species like sea turtles that often end up as unfortunate bycatch. If you and the kids enjoy seafood, look for seafood that’s sustainably farmed.
• If you spend time near or in the ocean in the summer, consider a reef-safe sunscreen – sun screen that doesn’t contain octinoxate or oxybenzone, two UV-blocking chemicals that wash off in the ocean and are known to contribute to coral bleaching.
• If you spend the day out on the water, whether boating, canoeing, or kayaking, never throw trash overboard. Encourage the kids to be responsible for helping collect and dispose of any trash once you get back on land.
• Teach the kids about household items that people commonly flush down the toilet but that often end up as ocean pollutants. This include things like cotton swabs, dental floss, medicines, and wet wipes. Talk about alternative ways to dispose of those items.
• Watch one or more of the many entertaining and very informative documentaries about ocean conservation. Some of the best ones, which are available on the major streaming services, include A Plastic Ocean, Chasing Coral, and Mission Blue.
• Read some great books about the ocean together. Some of the best ones include Children’s Encyclopedia of Ocean Life, Little Kids’ First Book of the Oceans, and The Fascinating Ocean Book For Kids.
• When you go out for dinner, have the kids research local restaurants that are committed to sustainable practices which help protect the world’s oceans. This could be anything from conserving water, reducing food waste, to using eco-friendly packaging and utensils.
• Go online and search for local organizations that work on ocean preservation that you and the kids can join as volunteers. The kids could also raise money for those organizations by starting a lemonade stand, organize an online fundraiser, etc.
• Encourage the kids to donate a certain percentage of their allowance to one or more of the larger, national ocean conservation organizations, like the Coral Reef Alliance, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and the Ocean Conservancy.
• If your kids are mature and understand the concept of lobbying, go online together and find the contact information for local, state, and federal officials that work on ocean-related issues. Write emails that urge them to help protect the oceans.
About The Author:
Tanni Haas, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders at the City University of New York – Brooklyn College.