Earth Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than with some eco-friendly activities that you can enjoy with your kids?
This year marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, a day when people all around the world come together to support environmental protection. It’s never too early to teach our children about sustainability and how we can help preserve the planet for generations to come.
By engaging in fun and educational activities, not only will you be creating lasting memories with your little ones, but you’ll also be empowering them to make a positive impact on their world.
So grab your green hats and let’s dive into some amazing Earth Day activities that are perfect for kids!
What is Earth Day?
Earth day is celebrated on April 22nd annually. It is a day to remember our planet and show appreciation for all it does for us. Many people use this day as an opportunity to learn more about environmental issues and how they can help make a difference.
There are lots of fun and easy ways to celebrate Earth day with kids! Here are a few ideas:
1) Go on a nature walk and collect leaves, flowers, or berries. Talk about how important plants are for our environment and how we can help take care of them.
2) Make bird feeders out of recycled materials like yogurt cups or empty paper towel rolls. Fill them with birdseed and hang them up outside!
3) Have a picnic lunch in the park instead of at home. This is a great way to enjoy some time outdoors while also reducing your energy consumption.
4) Ride bikes or walk instead of driving whenever possible. This helps reduce air pollution and conserve fossil fuels.
5) Recycle everything you can! Put all recyclable materials in the correct bin so they can be turned into new products instead of ending up in the landfill.
Activities to Celebrate Earth Day with Kids
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by doing some fun activities with the kids that will help teach them about being eco-friendly? Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Have a picnic lunch outside and make sure to pack up all of your trash when you’re done. You can even do a little litter pick-up while you’re out and about.
- Go for a nature walk and see how many different types of plants and animals you can find. This is also a great time to talk about why it’s important to take care of our planet.
- Plant a tree or garden together. Getting your hands dirty is always more fun with friends, plus you’ll be helping the environment too!
- Make some homemade bird feeders using recycled materials like old yogurt cups or toilet paper rolls. Then hang them up and see how many feathered friends come visit.
- Celebrate Earth Day by doing something nice for the planet, like picking up trash in your neighborhood or recycling items that would normally go in the garbage. Every little bit helps!
Some other fun ways to celebrate Earth Day are:
- Plant a tree/Garden
One great way to celebrate Earth Day with kids is to plant a tree or start a garden together. This is a fun activity that can teach children about the environment and how to take care of the planet. Plus, it’s a great way to get some fresh air and exercise!
- Beach/Park Clean Up
When it comes to celebrating Earth Day, there are plenty of eco-friendly activities that the whole family can enjoy. One great activity is to head to your local beach or park and participate in a cleanup. This is a great way to teach kids about the importance of taking care of our planet, and it’s also a fun way to spend some time outdoors together.
To get started, simply grab some garbage bags and gloves and start walking around the area, picking up any litter you see. You may be surprised at how much trash you can collect in just a short amount of time! Once you’re done, be sure to dispose of the garbage properly in a nearby bin.
Not only is this activity good for the environment, but it’s also great exercise and a great way to bond with your kids. So why not make it a habit and head out on a weekly cleanup adventure?
- Build a bird feeder
Building a bird feeder is a great eco-friendly activity to celebrate Earth Day with kids. It’s simple to do and only requires a few materials. Plus, it’s a great way to teach kids about the importance of taking care of our planet and its wildlife.
- One great way to do this is by using an empty toilet paper roll, spreading peanut butter all over the roll, and then rolling it in bird seeds. It can then be hung up with some string.
- One fun way to celebrate Earth Day with kids is to make recycled art. This can be a great activity for groups of children, as it encourages them to work together and be creative.
To make recycled art, you will need some materials that would normally be considered trash, such as egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, and plastic bottles. You will also need some glue or tape, and some paint or markers.
Let the kids use their imaginations to create something beautiful out of these everyday items. They can make sculptures, paintings, or collages. Encourage them to think about how they can reuse and recycle materials in their everyday lives.
This activity not only helps teach kids about the importance of recycling and being eco-friendly, but it’s also a lot of fun!
Bonus Ideas for Education
- Have a recycling race! See who can collect the most recyclable materials in a certain amount of time.
- Make homemade paper! Recycle old newspapers, magazines, and other scrap paper to make new sheets of paper.
- Plant a tree or start a garden! You can even do this in small spaces, like potted plants on a balcony or windowsill herbs.
- Learn about energy conservation! Turn off lights when you leave a room, and unplug electronics when you’re not using them.
- Make recycled art! Turn recycled materials into works of art, like making jewelry out of recycled cans or creating sculptures out of used bottles and cardboard.
- Have a food waste composting lesson! Teach kids about the benefits of composting and how it helps the environment.
- Go on a nature walk and identify different types of trees, flowers, and animals! Take pictures or sketches to remember what you saw afterward.
- Visit your local recycling center! Most centers offer tours to see how recyclables are sorted and processed.
- Create a “Green” Pledge
Making a pledge to be more eco-friendly is a great way to celebrate Earth Day with kids. You can encourage them to sign a “green” pledge promising to do things like reduce energy consumption, recycle more, use less water, or plant trees. This is a fun and easy activity that will help teach kids the importance of taking care of our planet.
- Watch a Documentary on the Environment
There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day with kids, and one great way is to watch a documentary on the environment. This can help educate them on the importance of preserving our planet.
There are a number of excellent environmental documentaries available, such as An Inconvenient Truth, Racing Extinction, and Cowspiracy. Take some time to watch one with your kids and discuss what they learned afterward. You can also find other great eco-friendly activities to do together in our previous blog post.
- Tour a City Recycling Facility
Visiting a local recycling facility is a great way to celebrate Earth Day with kids. It’s a chance for them to see how their recycling efforts make a difference and learn more about what happens to recyclable materials after they’re collected.
Most recycling facilities offer tours, which typically last about an hour. During the tour, you’ll learn about the different types of materials that are recycled and how they’re sorted and processed. You’ll also get to see the machinery that helps make recycling possible.
After the tour, you can spend some time discussing what you saw with your kids and talk about ways to reduce waste and recycle more at home. This experience can help show them just how important it is to take care of our planet.
- Make an Ecosystem Experiment
When it comes to eco-friendly activities, there are many different ways that families can celebrate Earth Day together. One great way to get kids involved in learning about the environment is by conducting an ecosystem experiment. This is a hands-on activity that can teach kids about how different components of an ecosystem interact with one another.
There are many different ways to set up an ecosystem experiment, but one common method is to create a mini ecosystem in a jar. To do this, you will need a large glass jar with a lid, some small rocks or gravel, soil, plants, and water. Start by adding a layer of rocks or gravel to the bottom of the jar. Then add a layer of soil on top of that. Next, add your plants. You can use any type of plant that you want, but it’s best to use ones that are native to your area. Finally, add enough water to cover the roots of the plants. Once everything is in the jar, screw on the lid and give it a shake so that the layers mix together a bit.
Now it’s time to observe! Place your jar in a spot where it will get plenty of sunlight and watch what happens over the next few days or weeks. You may see condensation form on the inside of the lid as the water evaporates and then condenses again. The plant may grow taller or produce new leaves. Kids can use a magnifying glass to get a closer look!
There are so many ways to celebrate Earth Day, but the best way to do so is with your family and friends. My kids and I celebrate each year by doing many of these activities together.
Let me know how you celebrate Earth Day alone or with family by leaving a comment below. I am sure we can all learn from each other.
