Ways to Help the Environment, Enjoy Outdoor Activities with Your Family

Studies have shown that when parents expose their children to nature on a regular basis, whether it is walks in the park or around the neighborhood, they will grow up to have a healthy respect for our planet and a better understanding of how their actions will impact their outdoor surroundings. Making it a family routine to participate in fun outdoor activities such as walking, running, trail hiking, spending a day at the beach and the park or cleaning up a beach or wooded area give kids a better understanding of the world around them and how to keep it clean. Remember these tips with your next family outing.

Volunteering to Clean Up -

This is a fun thing to do that my family and I enjoy doing on a regular basis. Whether it's cleaning a park, hiking trail or beach you are making a major impact on the world around you just by picking up trash. Not only does it give you the chance to give your time back to a great cause in some cases you may be able to get a reward for the time you volunteer. In Orlando, Florida Disney World has a program called Give a Day, Get a Day where if you and your family or friends volunteer to do a project they are sponsoring you will get a free day at any of the Magic Kingdom parks. This is a great volunteering opportunity and can save your entire family $80 each just to get in the park.

For more information about volunteering, and to find opportunities, visit Disney's Website.

Eco Tours -

Eco-friendly tours are a great way for families to get a better understanding of the world around them but also have the chance to spend some time with sea animals in their habitats. Whether it's swimming with the dolphins, turtles and tropical fish in Maui, Hawaii, or getting a better understanding of natural wildlife in a wooded environment, this is a great way for kids to have one on one time with animals and learn more about them from the people who run these types of tours.

For more information about Eco Tours do a quick search in Yahoo or Google for Eco Tour locations near you.

Recycling -

Did you know that over 80% of the plastic bottles we use every year end up in a a regular landfill? Plastic can sit in landfills for thousands of years all the while never breaking down. Recycling is a simple and quick way to protect the environment, and landfills, from items that really don't belong there. More communities offer recycling programs where a driver will come around once or twice a week to collect items such as plastic, glass, cardboard and aluminum cans to be taken to recycling plants and reused.

But the best way to ensure items don't end up in a dump for thousands of years is to start using items that can be reused or are biodegradable such as reusable coffee cups, cloth diapers, dog poop bags that break down and any product made from recycled material that is sure to be reused again after you recycle it.

For more information about recycling programs in your area contact your local Waste Management office.

Natural Ways to Enjoy the Environment -

This one is easy and in some cases costs you nothing. Whether it's giving up your car to bike to a location instead or using a canoe or row boat rather than a boat that requires fuel you can help to save the environment with these tips. Camping out is a great way for children to get to know the environment and nature around them when they spend time in the outdoors. Most places you can camp at are free to use, including your own backyard, and some places charge a minimal fee to set up camp in places like State Parks.

You can also take a canoe or row boat out on a lake to enjoy a fun trip with your children that teaches them all about creatures that live in the water like turtles, fish and manatees if you live in warmer climates like Florida.

Hiking through the woods is also a great way to understand nature while getting great exercise in the process. My family and I like to take trips to parts of the country where we can jump on the Appalachian Trail and make a day of it or an overnight camping trip. It's a lot of fun and is a great way to also see mountains and beautiful valleys that surround you.

Also encourage your children to take pictures of everything they see around them or to draw pictures of what they see while you're traveling. Getting outdoors and being green with your family is a great opportunity to protect the environment while spending time with your family and friends, and that alone is worth everything.