Ecology Walk

For the children to help clean up the area around the parish by picking up litter

The children will be able to give examples of how they care for God's creation.

For each child:

• one disposable plastic glove
• one empty plastic grocery bag

• After discussing different ways that we can take care of creation, tell the children that they can take care of creation by helping keep the area around the parish clean.
• Distribute the materials and take the children on a walk around the parish neighborhood to pick up any paper, plastic, aluminum, or glass.
• After about five minutes, talk to the group about the litter they found and the importance of recycling.
• Help the children put the recyclable materials they found in the appropriate bins and the rest of the litter in the appropriate places.

Nature Smart

Obtain permission from your catechetical leader to take the children on a walk. Some children may be allergic to latex so purchase non-latex gloves.

Supervise what the children are picking up to make sure they don't pick up something that could hurt them (for example, broken glass).

Tell the children not to pick up anything with their bare hands.

When walking around the neighborhood, make sure that the children stay close together. Watch out for cars, bikes, and other hazards.

If your group meets in the evening, you may not want to do this activity because it may be too dark.

If there are children in your group with special needs (physical, visual, hearing, language, or behavioral disabilities), adapt the activity accordingly