Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd and we have a bunch of fun ideas on how you can celebrate with your little ones! More than a billion people around the world celebrate Earth Day and you can too! Find Earth Day events in your area on Google maps via earthday.org or enjoy one of the activities below that your kids will love:
Plant a Seed
Planting seeds with your kids is a great way to help them understand why nature is so valuable. You can simply plant a bean or marigold seed in a cup and help your children take care of their growing plant.
Seed Starting Tips:
- - Once your seed germinates, place your plant in full sun by a window or use fluorescent light
- - Keep your seedlings warm (70-75 degrees) and your soil moist
- - Choose easy-to-grow annuals (flowers such as sunflowers, zinnias, or cosmos or vegetables like radishes, lettuce, and dill)
- - Be sure to label your cups if you're planting a mix of seeds (kids can have fun with creating their own labels!)
Create a Bird Feeder
This is a fun recycling art project reusing your toilet paper rolls via The Resourceful Mama. The best part is that you only need 5 supplies to build this simple bird feeder with your little ones. Note: This project is not recommended for children who have peanut allergies.
- - Toilet paper rolls
- - Bird seed
- - Peanut Butter
- - Craft or Popsicle Sticks
- - Twine
Simply spread the peanut butter on the outside of the toilet paper rolls using the craft sticks and roll them around in the bird seed. Once the outside of the roll is covered in seeds, thread a piece of twine through the roll until your desired length and tie a knot. Hang your bird feeder outside on a tree and wait for the little birdies to enjoy!
Sing an Earth Day Song
Sometimes singing a song can help young children learn the importance of Earth Day and conserving the world's natural resources in a fun and meaningful way. The Earth Day Song by Let's Play Kids Music is a great way to get the whole family involved with song and dance. Sing the lyrics to the tune of 'Nick Nack Paddy Wack' and enjoy the playlist they put together to celebrate the Earth all day long!
Visit a Farmer's Market
Take the kids to the farmer's market or a local farm to learn about the fruits and vegetables grown in your local area. Farmers can explain to your kids about what produce is in season and where they were grown. Let your little ones pick fresh fruits and vegetables to take home to prepare an Earth Day picnic. Show them how to wash and prepare fresh produce into fun-sized bites for kids.
Earth Day Reading
Visit your local library to read books about Earth. One of our favorites is "Talking with Mother Earth" by Jorge Argueta, which is a great bilingual/bicultural read as it's beautifully expressed in English and Spanish.
Color a Tree
Do April showers have you and your little ones stuck inside today? No worries, you can print out this coloring page via ABC Teach for the kids to color in an Earth Day tree with leaves in the shape of hearts.
Join the Community
Most local communities host Earth Day events throughout the month of April to celebrate Earth Day. Be sure to visit earthday.org to find events in your area to participate in with your little ones. It's a great opportunity to help raise your global citizens and meet like-minded parents aiming to make a difference- not only on April 22nd, but year-round!
Do you have any fun ideas for Earth Day? Please comment below to share your activities! Happy Earth Day & Stay Green!