Once upon a time, our greatest worry about when to have a sensitive conversation with the kiddos revolved around the topic of birds and bees.  These days, though, the complicated world in which we live gives us lots of questions to tackle, from "How young is too young for a Facebook page?" to "When should I talk to my kids about being good to the environment?"

The State of California realizes the importance of starting young when it comes to teaching kids about taking care of the earth and doing something about climate change and pollution. So, in cooperation with the EPA, the state's Integrated Waste Management Board has put together Kids Be Green -- an interactive, kid-friendly website chock full of interactive games, animated videos and even a free, downloadable coloring book.  While kids definitely won't remember the department's name, by the time they've played on the site for a little while, they will remember three short, important words: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

Families can visit the site here and get to know a friendly group of animated canvas totes, energy-saving LED lightbulbs, and a compost hero named Vermi the Worm - our personal favorite.  The best part: it gives us an opportunity to do a little guilt-free web-surfing while cuddling with the kiddos and teaching them something valuable. Now, that's an internet distraction we can get behind.