Help your kids understand climate change with calm, curiosity, and action. Discover hopeful, age-appropriate ways to talk about the environment together.
Let’s be honest, climate change is scary for everyone. “Eco-anxiety” is becoming relatively widespread. And conversations about the climate can feel heavy, especially when little ears are listening. As parents, we want to protect our kids while also helping them understand the world they’re growing up in. So how do we talk about something as complex as climate change…without overwhelming them?
Here are some simple ways to approach the conversation with calm, hope, and a focus on action.
Start with Curiosity, not Catastrophe
Kids are naturally curious about the world around them. You don’t need to lead with natural disasters or melting ice caps. Start where they are:
- Questions to spark environmental wonder:
- “Have you noticed how sunny it’s been lately?”
- “Do you know where the power in our house comes from?”
- “Why do you think birds fly north and south each year?”
- Nature walks and shows to explore together: Go for walks and observe changes in the seasons, plants, or animal behaviours.
- Watch child-friendly documentaries like Octonauts* (Netflix, ABC iView) or nature shows narrated for kids, which introduce environmental ideas gently.
- Let them lead: If they bring up climate change, ask what they already know. You can correct misinformation gently and build from there.
By starting with observation and wonder, you’re opening a safe space for meaningful dialogue.
Focus on solutions, Not Problems
It’s easy to feel helpless, even as adults. But kids thrive on agency. Instead of dwelling on problems, show them how people are working together in their backyards and regional communities to fix things to make them better.
- Climate innovators and community heroes: Talk about people making edible cutlery, ocean-cleaning robots, or fabrics made from seaweed.
- Kid-friendly climate projects at home: Help them enter a school sustainability project, plant a bee-friendly garden, or make a bird feeder from recycled materials.
- Point out climate helpers in your community:
- The neighbour with the veggie patch
- The school installing solar panels
- Local businesses using compostable packaging
- Show the positive: Share how wind turbines and solar panels are helping reduce pollution. Explain how farmers are using drones to use water more efficiently or growing crops under solar panels.
- Create a “hope board” at home with photos, articles, or drawings of climate heroes—real or imagined.
At RES, we believe it’s important to not just talk about the challenges: we’re part of a growing network of people trying to make things better.
Make it Tangible and Hands-On
Kids understand what they can see and touch. Try:
- Green activities kids can see and feel — even a few pots on a balcony can teach a lot about water, sunlight, and patience.
- Starting a compost jar to watch how food scraps break down – to watch how food scraps break down (it’s a little gross, and kids love that).
- Picking up litter in your park or street — and discussing where it might’ve ended up if left behind.
- Litter, compost, and crafty sustainability — cardboard robots, tin can planters, etc.
- Creating a “waste audit” as a family: track your waste for a day or week and brainstorm ways to reduce it together.
- Reading storybooks like The Tantrum That Saved the World or Somebody Swallowed Stanley to connect emotions with eco-action.
- Packing litter-free lunches – an ice cube in a re-used zip-lock bag can can keep items fresh, even in the warme months.
Making climate issues physical and manageable helps kids feel empowered, not panicked.
Model What You Want To See
The best way to teach resilience and responsibility? Model it.
- Take a reusable bag to the shops
- Everyday eco-habits children can copy – choose items with less packaging or shop at bulk food stores.
- Bring your reusable coffee cup or water bottle (kids love having their own too!) – shop sustainably
- Turn off lights and electronics together, making it a game or daily ritual.
- Plan “car-free” days, even if it’s just walking to school one day a week.
- Have a “meat-free Monday” or experiment with plant-based meals.
- Repair rather than replace — patching clothes or fixing toys teaches resourcefulness.
- Talk through your thinking: “I’m buying this second-hand because it saves resources,” or “I’m choosing this because it’s made locally.”
- Walk or ride when you can – Make it an adventure: Turn the walk or ride into a mini scavenger hunt — spot 5 different birds, a red flower, or something shaped like a heart. Track your steps or rides: Use a family chart to record how many walks or rides you do in a week. Set a fun reward for hitting milestones (e.g. a movie night or ice cream outing). Observe seasonal changes: Notice what’s blooming, changing, or migrating each week. You could even keep a “walk diary” with drawings or photos.
And if you don’t have all the answers? That’s okay. Say, “I don’t know, let’s find out together.” That teaches problem-solving, and that grown-ups are still learning too…
Learn Together as a Family
Did you know that greasy pizza boxes can go in the green composting bin? – this is because grease and food scraps won’t prevent the box from breaking down during composting.
There are a lot of misunderstood rules on how to use our classic Aussie wheelie bins, so it might be time to refresh your knowledge as a family unit:
- Recycling myths and bin education made fun – Print a kerbside bin guide for your fridge (here’s a good one from Dubbo Regional Council).
- Turn recycling into a game – Who can sort the most items correctly in 60 seconds?
- Assign kids a “bin boss” day — they get to check and approve what goes in each bin.
- Visit a local waste/recycling facility to dispose of items like batteries, paint, and e-waste — and learn how they’re processed.
- Eco-games and up-cycling ideas for kids: turn an old shirt into a tote bag or decorate glass jars into lanterns.
- Keep a “soft plastics re-use drawer” for zip-lock bags, bread bags, and veggie packaging to reuse for things like storing kitchen scraps or sealing paint brushes.
- Look up recycling myth-busters together—like why shredded paper can’t go in some bins, or how to recycle bottle caps properly.
End With Hope and Action
Above all, remind your kids that people are doing things. From scientists to schoolkids, farmers to families — we’re not sitting back. We’re building wind and solar farms, cleaning up oceans, recycling in our homes and creating clever solutions.
- Stories of climate courage for kids: “Look, this used to be a landfill, and now it’s a park!”
- Empower your family to be changemakers: “What do you think we could do better?” Kids often come up with the most imaginative and achievable solutions.
- Tell stories of change: Greta Thunberg, Aussie schoolkids planting trees, or local initiatives you’re involved in.
- Write a family eco-mission statement or keep a “planet journal” of small wins and ideas.
They don’t need to carry the weight of the world — they need to believe they can shape it.
Because when it comes to climate change, the most powerful thing we can pass on isn’t fear, it’s hope.
* NATURE SHOWS NARRATED FOR KIDS
🐾 1. Octonauts (Netflix, ABC iView)
- Age range: 3–7
- Why it’s great: This animated series follows a team of underwater explorers who rescue sea creatures and protect their habitats. It subtly introduces marine biology and the impact of pollution and climate without being scary.
- Environmental themes: Ocean conservation, animal rescue, teamwork
🐦 2. Our Planet: Behind the Scenes (Netflix)
- Age range: 6+
- Why it’s great: This behind-the-scenes companion to Our Planet (narrated by David Attenborough) shows how filmmakers capture wildlife footage. It includes gentle reflections on environmental change without the intensity of the main series.
- Environmental themes: Climate change, conservation, biodiversity
🌱 3. Planet Earth III (BBC iPlayer/Stan/ABC) – with parental guidance
- Age range: 8+
- Why it’s great: The latest instalment in the Planet Earth series includes updated storytelling with a more hopeful, action-oriented tone. It’s beautifully filmed and suitable for older primary kids if watched with parents to explain the more serious bits.
- Environmental themes: Ecosystem balance, endangered species, habitat change
🐘 4. Big Beasts (Apple TV+, narrated by Tom Hiddleston)
- Age range: 6+
- Why it’s great: Stunning visuals and a calm narration style help introduce concepts about animal survival and adaptation, with light environmental messaging about climate and habitat changes.
- Environmental themes: Animal behaviour, environmental pressures
🐻 5. Wild Kratts (ABC Me, PBS Kids)
- Age range: 5–10
- Why it’s great: A fun animated series where two brothers “transform” with creature powers to teach kids about animals and ecosystems. It links conservation to action in a non-scary, adventurous way.
- Environmental themes: Wildlife conservation, biodiversity, ecosystems
🦋 6. Bluey’s Backyard (Special episode or book tie-ins)
- Age range: 2–7
- Why it’s great: While not a nature doco, Bluey occasionally weaves in gentle outdoor play, garden care, and nature observation. Books like Bluey: The Creek and Bluey: Exploring Nature can also spark eco-curiosity in very young viewers.
🦎 7. Andy’s Wild Adventures & Andy’s Safari Adventures (ABC iView, BBC)
- Age range: 3–6
- Why it’s great: Andy time-travels and globe-trots to meet animals in their habitats. Very gentle and playful, it fosters love for animals and natural environments without any distressing scenes.
- Environmental themes: Animal facts, nature appreciation
About us
At RES, we’re proud to be developing renewable energy projects like Kerrs Creek Wind Farm, right here in the Central West. But more than that, we’re passionate about being a ‘power for good’ and creating a better, cleaner future for the next generation.
RES is the world’s largest independent renewable energy company. A global industry innovator for over 40 years, RES entered the Australian market in 2004 and now employs over 180 people, with offices across multiple metropolitan and regional locations. RES’ exceptional work in Australia has been acknowledged with the Clean Energy Council’s Innovation Award 2022, the Diversity & Inclusion Award 2023 and most recently as finalists for the Community Value & Impact Award 2025.
Want to learn more? Visit: res-group.com or follow us on Instagram @res_powerforgood
PLUS: ABC Education – Climate Facts for Kids
