How Netflix Saved Earth Day

This week.

It all started with Easter weekend. It was a busy one. Saturday morning we went to a friend’s house for a brunch potluck with four other families. By Saturday evening, my parents and youngest sister had arrived. We had them and a guest over for Sunday lunch and then added my other sister, her husband, and their kids overnight on Sunday and Monday. We had a big Easter Dinner with 11 people around our table on Sunday night and a barbecue with 12 people around our table on Monday night which had followed an afternoon birthday party.

Phew.

Tuesday was Earth Day. I really wanted my children to gain some understanding about the importance of that day, but I was just. so. tired.

Earth Day is one of those days that can really impact young children because young children are so passionate. They love easily. And the world is easy to love. Teaching good habits when they’re little can hopefully ward off those feelings of apathy when they get older and have other things to worry about apart from the state of our forests and water supply and atmosphere.

But did I mention I was tired? I didn’t have the energy to make a craft with my kids or plant a tree or clean up a local park. This is real life parenthood – and it can be exhausting.

So, I turned on the Bubble Guppies episode “Boy Meets Squirrel”. It is an episode about trees and squirrels and bunnies and recycling complete with awesome music in true Bubble Guppies form. I sat with my boys while they watched and then when it was over, we talked.

(This is how television watching should work. Watch things with your children. Discuss afterwards.)

Cameron was a little confused as to why we weren’t watching a show about outer space on Earth Day (which, admittedly would have made Earth Day ten times more awesome), but we soon learned what recycling meant and that paper comes from trees and that our world would likely suck if we used up all of our trees.

Because it is never too early or too late to plant the seed of Earth-love in children, parents don’t need to wait until Earth Day comes around again to start these conversations with children. Netflix has some great kid-shows that can help encourage a sustainable lifestyle. Watch them with your kids and watch them learn something.

• Curious George: Mulch Ado About Nothing / Gets a Trophy
• Go Diego Go: Rescue of Red-Eyed Tree Frogs
• Bubble Guppies: Boy Meets Squirrel
• Dinosaur Train: Stargazing on the Night Train / Get Into Nature
• Sesame Street: The Camouflage Challenge
• Wild Animal Baby Explorers: Beaks and Bills / The Mighty Oak Tree

Here are some preliminary questions to help you discuss these Earth-Day appropriate shows. Make sure to amend them and add to them depending on the theme of the show you chose:

1. In the show we just watched, what did you learn about the world we live in?

2. Was there a potential problem with something in our world in the episode we just watched?

3. Do you think our world needs protecting?

4. What happens if we don’t take care of our world?

5. What are some things we can do as a family to help our world be healthier?

I am a member of Netflix’s Stream Team and as such I have been compensated with a complementary Netflix subscription and a few other perks. The stories and opinions are all my own and have not been bought.