Reduce, reuse, recycle is an old phrase that should come back with all the emphasis on "going green" today. Instead of taking one day or even one week to focus on being environmentally conscious, finding ways to teach children of the next generation how to take care of the world in which they live should be a continuous lesson all year long.

It is important for children to be taught specific ways they can help the environment as well New teachers have the benefit of going into their first teaching position fresh and with the newest teaching ideas, so what better time than to teach some green lessons? Here are some kid friendly green lesson ideas below.

When teaching students about going green, recycling and reusing materials for new projects, craft time is a great way to reinforce these ideas. Encouraging students to come up with creative uses for the materials they commonly throw away can become a classroom game. As students actively think about what they can use the items they would normally throw away, the less trash will be collected at the end of the school day. That empty water bottle, or example, will quickly be filled with pencil shavings and a couple rocks for a unique paper weight.

There are several ways to recycle both at home with your children and in the classroom with your students. Conservation or reducing the amount of paper used is an important part of recycling. One important way to help conserve is to use both sides of paper when you are taking notes, writing papers and so forth. Another idea is to have a scrap paper box in which you can place a paper that has a clean side to write on. Then, instead of throwing away papers that cannot be used again, recycle!

Teach your students to pack a trash free lunch to reduce the amount of trash thrown away in the cafeteria. Bringing lunch in a lunch box or reusable bag instead of paper is a good start. Instead of a napkin, students can pack a washcloth to wipe their face and hands with. Fresh fruits and homemade foods such as sandwiches are excellent and healthier alternatives to the prepackaged foods and snacks.

Encourage your students to turn off the lights whenever the leave a room to help save energy. Also encourage your students to turn off those electronics when they are not in use to prevent wasting energy. Finally, conserving water usage is important as well, so have students make sure that the faucets are not dripping or left on in the bathroom, and that the toilets do not continue to run longer than they should.

Stopping the spread of germs and infections is as important as conservation and recycling when it comes to the concept of “saving the planet”. Teach children to use soap when washing their hands, and how to wash long enough to kill the germs. Learn when it is important to wash your hands: after sneezing, coughing, going to the bathroom, etc.