Did you know... the average meal in North America travels about 1,200 kilometres from farm to table?

It's harvest time in Canada, so this week take your family for a walk around your neighborhood or bike to your local farmer's market to discover what foods are grown in your community.

This activity will help your family understand which crops grow in which season and consider the benefits of eating seasonal, locally grown foods. They'll learn how eating local not only cuts down on the resources used to produce and transport our food, but also allows us to be healthier human beings.

Did you know... life on earth is limited to 20 vertical kilometres called the biosphere?

Take in the fall colours with your family this week by going on a nature hike. Not only will your kids get to explore the wonders of nature at this time of year, they'll also learn that nature has limits we must learn to respect.

For this activity, each member of your family will pack a backpack in preparation for the nature hike. As the hike progresses, you'll ask them to sort through what they packed to determine what they really needed for the hike and what they didn't. They will begin to see the impact of consumerism, and that the desire for things we don't really need is driving us to live beyond the limits of nature.

Did you know... if a two-litre water bottle represented the earth's water supply, only a mouthful would be drinkable?

Help your family explore the water all around them this week. Hunt down ponds, streams and puddles in your neighbourhood to start off a conversation about the importance of water in nature and our lives.

In this activity, your family will think about where water comes from and how you use it every day. By understanding that clean water is a precious resource, you'll all begin to appreciate the importance of conserving water to sustain the Earth's supply.

Did you know... if the air leaks in an average Canadian home were combined, they would form a hole as big as a basketball?

No wonder houses can feel drafty! As temperatures drop, tell your family to put on sweaters and send them on a hunt for cold drafts and ways to save energy. This week, your family will learn that by reducing the amount of heat leaking from your home, they can help reduce climate change.

In this activity, you'll check for exterior cracks around your home and make simple draft detectors to find drafts coming in through doors and windows. While learning how energy is wasted through inefficient buildings, you'll also think about energy conservation and the connection to the Earth's precious resources.