"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." — William Shakespeare
Can We Raise Kids To Feel Empathy For Nature?
When we think of empathy, we tend to envision the ability to identify specific feelings in someone, often distressing ones, and respond accordingly with caring behavior. The idea of empathy toward humans can also apply to empathy toward nature, which is what researchers looked at in this study. People who feel empathy for nature adopt the perspective of animals in pain, for example, and are more inclined to help them.
Understanding how children process empathy toward nature and their resulting attitudes could be helpful as we think about designing early childhood education. [Read More]
Reading Corner
Title: Forest
By: Brendan Kearney
For 3+ years
Finn and Skip are on an adventure vacation, cycling through the towering rainforests of central America, when they notice that large patches of trees seem to have disappeared. The plot thickens when an unexpected guest arrives at their campsite-a lonely baby tapir. They feed their new friend, but the next morning they wake up to even more hungry animals. It seems something is afoot in the forest, and Finn and Skip set out to discover what's going on...
This book is a good introduction to the environmental concerns facing our forests, featuring colorful illustrations and an engaging, light-hearted storyline, drawn and written by Brendan Kearney. Grown-ups and children will enjoy reading together and following the story of Finn and Skip, with its ups and downs, and pointing out all the different animals that Finn meets in the rainforest. They'll also learn about how using ethical products can help save the animals.
Recommended by Kindful Editors
Be the Change
We encourage you to take a look at these ideas and pick one or choose any other action to express kindness towards the environment. https://www.kindspring.org/ideas/index.php?pg=cat&cid=3
