Can you believe it is April already? The sun is getting higher and brighter, the days are getting longer, and the kids are gearing up for summer break. Earth Day is just around the corner, April 22. Earth Day is a great opportunity to go environmentalist on our kids… teaching the importance of caring for our environment through our actions.
Here are five easy activities you can do with your kids on Earth Day:
- Plant a tree (or many trees).
Simple. You can plant one tree or many trees. Talk to your kids through the process. Explain what you are doing and why. Let your kids know why trees are important, how they can benefit from the tree, and how tree contributes to the environment. Have your kids help to pick the type of tree you will plant and the location where it will be planted. Read a book with the kiddos about planting trees or tree growth. Better yet, read the book under your newly planted tree!
- Plan or attend a trail clean up.
Call your local or state parks department and see if they have anything special planned for Earth Day. You will find, many have planned trail cleanups! If they haven’t, get to it yourself. There are plenty of great resources out there for planning a trail cleanup and remaining safe during a trail cleanup. Teaching your children the importance of trail stewardship at a young age is super important and a great lesson for Earth Day.
- Plan your vegetable garden.
Late April might be too early to plant from seed where you live, but you can begin to plan for your vegetable garden. Bring the kids to your local garden supply center and have them pick out some seeds. Draw and map out where you will plant each seed type within your garden. If you are starting your garden from seed, you can also pick up your seed starters, seed starter soil, and possibly a biodome. You may want to check out this book it will help you decide what plants will grow best in your climate and when to plant in the ground.
- Clean up litter in your neighborhood.
Where we live, Earth Day also means “Green-up” day. The town provides bags and grabbers for residents to chip in and help clean up the town. Kids love this, because, grabbers. Last year, all of the neighborhood kids walked around together and had a great time keeping our neighborhood clean and green. While it’s obviously important to keep our parks, trails, and playgrounds clean; it is also important to keep our streets, sidewalks, and neighborhoods clean. Pitch in, it is Earth Day, after all.
- Do a nature-themed craft.
Pinterest. Nuff said. There are so many ideas! But, because I’m awesome, I’ve narrowed down my three favorites for you to check out.
Here is a super easy and fun Hummingbird feeder.
This botanical suncatcher is beautiful and colorful.
I love this nature Tie Dye activity and so do my kids!
This book is also full of awesome outdoor activities and projects for kids. I highly recommend it!
What is your family planning for Earth Day?
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