5 Eco-Friendly Kid's Movies

With all the environmental threats that our earth is facing right now, it is best to equip the present and future generations with awareness and feasible means to ensure the survival of our planet. Teaching our kids about the environment can sometimes be a little tricky. However, catching and engaging their attention with something more appealing to them can make the job a bit easier.

Movies can be one of the best ways to teach children environmental preservation. They learn, and at the same time are entertained. Here are five eco-friendly movies that you can watch with your kids.

#1 THE LORAX (2012)

Based on the book by Dr. Seuss, The Lorax is set in a walled city with everything artificial, except for humankind—all things are made of plastic, synthetics and metal.

The story follows the adventures of a boy as he searches for one special thing that could win the affection of the girl he admires. The story itself is lighthearted, although the character of the Lorax is often depicted as grumpy. Its theme touches on a critically important message about our collective responsibility in looking after our environment; otherwise, we would end up in a very sorry situation; completely destroying our home.

#2 THE BEE MOVIE (2007)

This is another lighthearted movie that teaches its viewers about the impact of honeybees to our environment.

Barry Benson, the movie's main character, is a new graduate from Bee College and must make his lone career choice. He faces the dilemma of sticking with the bee norms or embracing his adventurous nature. On his special trip out of the hive, he finds out that humans actually eat honey and use it as an ingredient in many products. He is horrified about this as he considered it stealing, and he decides to make a bold move to sue humans in court. He thought he would make the lives of bees a lot easier, but leads them and the whole world to a catastrophic change.

The movie's theme shows the vital role of honeybees in our environment and their interdependence with humans and the ecosystem.

#3 HAPPY FEET (2006)

This movie sure has a lot of singing and dancing but it also portrays a more serious, eye-opening scenario about the consequences of commercial fishing and pollution.

This entertaining movie about dancing penguins is more than just entertainment. It shows the inconvenient truths about what is happening to the penguin species in the Antarctic as a result of human activities.

The movie revolves around Mumble, the only emperor penguin without a heart song, who feels alienated by other penguins who all have great singing voices. However, he is exceptionally talented at tap dancing and this paves the way to his adventures and discoveries about himself, his species and the humans.

#4 FINDING NEMO (2003)

This box office hit film tells the story of a clownfish called Marlin and his regal blue tang friend, Dory as they set off on a journey to find Marlin's son, Nemo. Nemo has been stolen from his home in the coral reef and placed in a glass cage in a dentist's clinic.

The film's message centers on the importance of the preservation of coral reefs and all the wildlife that thrives in them. It teaches about the beauty of ocean life, with all its attractive inhabitants and diversity.

#5 RIO (2011)

As the title suggests, the film is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It tells the story of Blu, a male Spix's macaw who is taken to Rio de Janeiro to mate with a free-spirited female Spix's macaw, Jewel, in order to save their species. Unless they can mate successfully, their species will die out. Efforts to prevent this horrifying outcome generate the film's thrills and spills. The two eventually fall in love, despite not getting along well at the beginning. Together, they escape from the hands of greedy men that try to smuggle them.

The film projects the environmental issues of biodiversity and extinction.