Activity Overview
Grade: K-7th
Time: 30 minutes
Adult support needed? Self-guided student activity, however younger students may need adult support with some of the questions.
Explore your home to learn how your family can help reduce waste, save energy and save water. Simple actions such as taking shorter showers or turning the lights off when we leave a room not only helps protect the environment but saves money for our families. In this activity, youth will:
- Survey their homes to learn how well their family is reducing waste, saving energy and saving waste.
- Review their results to identify actions their family can take on to continue to reduce waste, save energy and save water.
- Take Action: choose one activity to either help reduce waste, save energy or save water.
Supports Next Generation Science Standards:
- K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
- 5-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
- MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
Materials Needed:
- Downloadable Activity Guide (see below)
- Paper
- Pencil
- Colored pencils or pens (optional)
- Recyclable materials (optional)
Downloadable Activity Guide
Click here to download your Activity Guide (English)
Haga clic aquí para ver su guía de actividades (español)Directions
- View or print the Activity Guide. No printer? No problem! View the Activity Guide online and grab blank paper to follow along.
- Use the checklist in the Activity Guide to learn how well your family is reducing waste, saving energy and saving water.
- Use your results to learn what activities you family could choose to start to make sure you are helping to reduce waste, save energy and save water even more.
- Take action! Choose one activity to help your family to reduce waste, save energy and water.
Additional Resources:
- Check out the list of conservation ideas for kids on Pinterest.
- Check out National Geographic Kids Top 5 Conservation Tips
Thank you to the City of Santa Cruz, City of Capitola, Santa Cruz County and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for supporting the Coastal Watershed Council’s Environmental Education programs.
Thank you to the City of Santa Cruz, City of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary for supporting Snapshot Day.


Additional resources:
- Santa Cruz County Office of Education News & Food Programs: Parents are encouraged to call or email their child’s school or district prior to visiting the site in person if they have questions or need services beyond the food program available to their student or to pick up distance learning materials. Please find a master list of all Santa Cruz County food service distribution locations at http://sccoe.link/food_service. Please find an interactive map of all the food distribution locations and service times at http://sccoe.link/food_service_map.
- Speaking with your child about COVID
- Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency
- Santa Cruz County 211