Earth Day is a celebration! This year let’s be mindful to treat it as such, because celebrating Earth Day with kids is a fun way to inspire, educate, and bring the entire community together. You probably intuitively know tons of kid-friendly ways to celebrate Earth Day, but we’re thrilled to offer these ideas for a little inspiration.
Set aside time to do something different this Earth Day. Have fun together. And remember the wonderful life lessons Earth Day and living green will teach your children.
Our best advice for enjoying Earth Day is to spend time outdoors doing whatever your child loves to do. Take a moment to be extra mindful of the trees, grass, creeks, rocks, or any little part of nature that fills your child’s sense of wonder.
Our second best bit of advice for observing Earth Day is – don’t preach. Follow the “support what you love rather than bash what you hate” philosophy. We really hate plastic trash-strewn beaches but we’re not going to lament them on this special day. Instead we’re going to celebrate all the things we love about the natural wonders of this beautiful planet and its resources.
So, while you have your positive mindset firmly in place, let’s look at some fun ideas to make a big impression on your little ones.
10 kid-friendly ways to celebrate Earth Day
Get outside!
Take a walk, explore some place new, or lay down a blanket and look at the clouds or do some stargazing. We’ve said it loads of times – we protect what we love. Celebrating Earth Day means loving and enjoying the earth so kids will feel passionate about protecting it.
Make repurposed art
Dumpster dive into your recycling bin and raid your junk drawers to find materials and create something together. Think robots, mobiles, picture frames, wind chimes, and model airplanes. You’ll find some inspiration on our Battery Free Fun board. The options are endless!
Join a local Earth Day celebration
Check out the Earth Day events your local parks or community organizations are offering, and join in the fun. Earth Day Network lists ways you can get involved with each year’s activism theme.
Host a cleanup day
Coordinate a time on Earth Day or a Saturday during April to pick up trash in your neighborhood or favorite park. Children who have never voluntarily picked up their bedrooms will love picking up someone else’s trash. Give them gloves and proper supervision. It’s an Earth Day miracle!
Create a butterfly garden or a bug hotel
Pollinators are so critical to a healthy environment and our food supply. Find out what types of butterflies are native to your area and plant flowers and shrubs that attract them. You can also plant wildflowers to attract bees to your yard.
A bug hotel is part garden art and part winter habitat for beneficial insects. This build your own bug hotel project is one of our favorite kid-friendly ways to celebrate Earth Day.
Visit your local farmers’ market
More fun for the family than the typical grocery run. Plus, you will be supporting local farmers and conserving fuel. If your local farmers’ market is only open on a certain day of the week, make sure you visit it during Earth Week. Get to know local farmers and encourage your kids to ask questions about how they grow the foods they sell.
Make your own natural art supplies
This is a fun project to try on the porch or driveway. Making your own paints and paintbrushes from items found in nature is one way to ensure everything your child uses is safe.
Decorate a recycling bin
Whether it’s a dedicated recycling bin or just cardboard box to keep in your home, kids will love helping out with recycling when they have a hand in making it.
Document a sunrise (or sunset)
Bring the family outside, armed with paper, crayons, markers, pastels, or chalk. Share the moment by everyone drawing the beautiful colors they see.
Go camping
No-trace camping with kids is an amazing way to immerse kids in nature. Make sure to keep it as low impact as possible. The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace Camping are:
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
- 10 Kid-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Earth Day - April 15, 2015
- Life Lessons from Earth Day - April 13, 2015
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