How to tackle climate change anxiety in children

Fear of climate change among children is at an all-time high – what can teachers and schools do to fight this epidemic?

Climate change is increasingly dominating the headlines, from wildfires in Britain to floods in Pakistan and earthquakes in China to tornadoes in the southern United States.

With so much interest and concern about climate change, it is to be expected that children will be curious about what it means to them and what they can do to improve the situation.

Young activists like Greta Thunberg are not afraid to put pressure on governments and industry to do better, and this has inspired many other young people to get involved.

69% of teachers think UK schools should be taught more about climate change

What is fear of climate change?

Someone who experiences climate change anxiety, also known as climate anxiety, may be worried, nervous, or afraid of the consequences of climate change and the future of our planet.

It is part of the broader phenomenon of eco-anxiety and can be stressful and even debilitating for both adults and children.

How can schools support children?

So, with a clear appetite to learn more from young people, where do schools come in? And how do you support the interest of young people without fearing the worst?

Oxfam research has found that 69% of teachers think there should be more education on climate change in UK schools. However, many do not know where to start.

As an organization that produces high-quality educational materials, teachers at iChild have pointed out to us the issues surrounding the lack of engaging resources to support their teaching on topics such as climate change.

With the sensitivities and potential disasters that could happen, teaching this the right way is more important than ever. The key to balancing information without causing too much excitement is to keep the content of the key stage appropriate and focused on the practical steps young people can take on their own.

Children in every class differ in their awareness of climate change. As we educate the next generation on this issue, it’s important that we empower them by sharing small things they can do in their daily lives, regardless of their lifestyle, to help combat climate change.

Reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, discard, rethink

A good place to start is to get kids thinking about what they can do to protect the planet: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Fix, Reject, Rethink. It is important for children to know that they have a voice and can make decisions about their everyday actions.

An engaging and thought-provoking activity to support this is for the children to create carbon footprint posters. Children can draw around their foot or draw their foot on a poster and together add ideas for small actions they can take every day to reduce their footprint. These posters can be hung in the classroom or hung on the fridge as a daily reminder.

How can we get kids to think more globally?

How about transporting the kids to the other side of the world to see how climate change is affecting others? From the comfort of your classroom, of course!

The Maldives are at the heart of the climate crisis and face an existential threat from the actions of the world’s most developed nations.

“The world needs to hear the voices of island nations where communities are grappling with a climate crisis they had little part in creating.”

Speaking at COP 26, United Nations High Representative Courtenay Rattray said: “The world needs to hear the voices of island nations whose communities are grappling with a climate crisis they had little part in creating.”

Children can see the effects of climate change from a new perspective and see the positive changes children are making on the other side of the world.

For teachers looking for more ideas to tackle complex issues like climate change or black British history in a pivotal style, iChild has released its engaging classroom resources. Fascinating Classrooms are exclusive instructional resources designed to be easy to use, save teachers time, improve classroom engagement, and help schools implement a rich and diverse curriculum.

Topics covered include Black British History, Geography (including climate change) and Science (including evolution and heredity). These important resources were created in collaboration with the Geographical Association, the National Association for the Teaching of English, Professor David Olusoga and award-winning children’s author Dr. Mandy Hartley developed.

For more information on Captivating Classrooms and how your school can access them, visit: www.ichild.co.uk/captivating-classrooms