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The climate and ecological emergency is the most urgent issue of our time. Yet not enough is being done. Children and young people are taking action because the adults entrusted with making policy decisions are not doing enough to address the impending climate and ecological crisis. Woodcraft Folk have been inspired by the calls to action made by young people across the globe. Therefore, we are calling upon policy makers to listen to young people before it’s too late.
This is a collection of activities for children and young people that will help you to better understand the climate and ecological crisis and our part in it. As well as supporting you to raise your voice in calling for action to be taken against it. There is also a selection of links to resources from other organisations doing brilliant work in taking climate and ecological action now.
Climate and Ecological Emergency Activities to do at home
- All Ages
- Woodchip 3-5
- Elfin 6-9
- Pioneer 10-12
- Venturer 13-15
- DF 16-20
Changing Weather
Understand the difference between weather and climate. Then build your own weather station to observe and record the weather you experience locally.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Build back better
How might the shifts in our behaviour brought on by COVID-19 change how we approach the climate emergency? How can we build back better?
DO THE ACTIVITY
Make Your Own Biodiversity Area
Find out about biodiversity. Then actively work to increase it in your area — planting seeds and creating habitats for insects and animals.
Pollution Catcher
What are the causes of air pollution? Learn how to make a simple pollution catcher to measure and monitor the levels of pollution in your area.
Make an Energy Action Plan
Heating and cooling of our spaces produces nearly 50% of the UK greenhouse emissions. Let's make an action plan for how to save some energy in our everyday lives.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Climate refugees
The climate emergency leads to some people needing to flee their home as a result of climate change. Find out about some of their stories.
DO THE ACTIVITY
greenhouse cinema
What do we mean by global warming? What does it mean, how does it work and why does it matter? Make your own film or animation to explain the greenhouse effect.
DO THE ACTIVITY
My Ecological Footprint
Understand what an ecological footprint is — and calculate your own. Then explore the possibilities for reducing your impact on our planet.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Put on a patch
Making clothes takes lots of energy and resources and 85% end up in landfill. Learn to put on a patch to extend the life of your clothes — add a bit of yourself to what you wear.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Solar Oven
Solar energy is a renewable energy source. Find out how it works and build a solar oven to see for yourself how you can harness the power of the sun to provide the energy you need.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Sea Ice
Explore the difference between sea ice and land ice. Experiment with melting both to understand how they effect sea levels.
Compost Cake
Healthy soil is part of the fight to protect us from the Climate and ecological emergency. Find out about soil health, and make your own Compost Cake.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Eco Bricks
Collect clean, dry plastic waste to make your own Eco Bricks to capture and reuse harmful plastic waste.
Face Your Carbon Elephant
How much carbon do you use? The European average is equivalent to two elephants each year! Face your elephant and see how you could lessen your impact on the world.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Bug hotel
build a bug hotel to provide a safe and welcoming habitat for a range of interesting and important bugs. The more diversity there is in that ecosystem, the better.
DO THE ACTIVITY
Further Resources & Links
Links
NASA Climate Kids has some easy to follow explanations of the science behind climate change.
These dynamic graphs from Bloomberg are based on the NASA’s Goddard institute for space studies. They show the very clear link between the rise in greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels and climate change.
This UN page has a clear set of facts about the climate emergency.
WE CAN: Woodcraft Folk’s Climate Action Now activity ideas for individuals and groups looking at themes of justice, survival, bio-diversity and more.
Glasgow Science Centre are bringing the conversation into your home with OUR WORLD OUR IMPACT. A series of interactive online events, discussions, videos, challenges and more, exploring five climate themes – Climate Justice; Our Planet; Food; Energy, Transport and Travel; and Our Green Futures.
Projects
Resist! the Global Climate Divide is IFM-SEI’s year long project dedicated to building the capacities of young people to fight the climate crisis. Resist! includes an online training, where our facilitators will help young activists implement their own local actions and projects, as well as a toolkit development, where we will update ATACC.
Woodcraft Folk is currently working on The Ingenious Project, with a team of volunteer engineers who are sharing information about engineering solutions to the climate emergency.
Action for Conservation’s new, free, online platform, WILDWEB has been designed to help young people aged 13-17 gain the skills and understanding to take action for the environment in a post-lockdown world.
Books
Pan Macmillan have put together a list of great books for teaching children and young people about the environment.
IFM has produced a fantastic collection of information and activities for groups called the Handbook for Action Against Climate Change.
Films
Fiji on the Climate Change Frontline — A Newsround report on the effects of climate change on Fiji with interviews of young people’s experiences.
A message from the future with Alexandria Ocasio Cortez.
For older young people, this documentary, from indigenous filmmakers Tawna, tracks the fight and ongoing legal defence of the Piatúa river against the construction of a hydroelectric dam.
Organisations
Climate Coalition is the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action against climate change. – #TheTimeIsNow
Next year, for the first time, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021.
Kids Against Plastic is a charity set up by kids — and is all about taking action against plastic pollution.
Teach the Future is an inclusive, well organised and persistent campaign by secondary and tertiary education students to repurpose the education systems of the world, around the climate emergency and ecological crisis.
Woodcraft Folk is passionate about empowering young people to fight the climate emergency to help their futures be cleaner, greener and more equal.
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