Teaching Preschoolers About Littering

Lead By Example

• Your preschooler̵7;s mind is impressionable, so set a good example for your child by throwing away your own garbage, recycling and reducing litter. Always clean up after yourself and explain to your preschooler the importance of not littering. When you are out and about, point out litter and demonstrate how easy it is to put it in a garbage can. Teach your little one to reduce litter with actions that include taking reusable bags to the store and using a lunchbox instead of paper disposable bags. Get your child involved by asking her to think of other ways to reduce litter or reuse items.

Community Projects

• Organizations across the country, such as the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission and Ocean Conservancy, sponsor local cleanups. Volunteers are asked to come out and help remove trash and debris to preserve the environment. These events provide opportunities to get your child involved in community efforts to reduce litter. Spend an afternoon at a local park -- or even your backyard -- picking up litter so your child can see what a difference one person can make. Talk to school officials about organizing a cleanup at your child̵7;s preschool to get other kids involved in the lesson. Ensure all participants are wearing protective gloves and closed-toe shoes. Watch children closely so they don't pick up sharp or potentially dangerous items.

Recycle Art

• Reduce litter by re-purposing items for an art project. Encourage your preschooler to help collect old items from around the house that you would typically throw away, such as scraps of wrapping paper, ribbon and empty bottles. Add water to paints and markers that have dried out so you can reuse them. Let your child use her creativity and make a recycled art project from the collected items for a keepsake and a fun lesson on littering.

Litter Bags for Cars

• Make a litter bag with your preschooler to teach him about cleaning up after himself while on the go. Provide your child with a brown paper bag and let him decorate it with crayons, markers and stickers. Punch two holes in the top of the bag with a hole puncher. Loop a piece of string or ribbon through the holes to make the bag easy to hang up in your car. Remind your child to dispose of wrappers and other trash items in the bag instead of on the floor. At the end of each day, he can empty his litter bag into a garbage can.