Spring weather means longer days and warmer temperatures and allows more opportunities to breathe in some fresh air and connect with each other. With Earth Day right around the corner on April 22, it’s a perfect time to dedicate some time outside and teach the children in your life how we can all take care of our beautiful Earth. Here are some fun ways you can celebrate and engage in Earth Day.
Set up a park clean-up day.
Parks are not just fun for playing – they’re fun for cleaning up, too! Take some time out of Earth Day to head to your local park and pick up litter or rake some leaves. This is an easy activity that models to children the importance of taking care of our green spaces.
Create your own terrarium.
There is so much beauty outside, but by creating a terrarium, you can bring the outdoors in! A terrarium is a unique micro-environment that allows moisture to evaporate, and then condensation falls back down. Find a glass jar and collect some small rocks or pebbles from outside. Then, add some potting soil and then put some small indoor plants in the soil. Add just a bit of water to dampen the soil, then decorate the terrarium with moss, shells, or other toys to bring color and encourage growth. Place the lid on it and let the magic begin.
Plant a mini herb or flower garden.
Kids love watching things grow and planting a small flower garden or herb garden is a great way to see their efforts come to life. Whether you go with some herb starts already in pots or decide to plant some seeds and watch things grow that way, it gives your children something to look forward to. Once the flowers grow large enough, consider cutting them and creating little bouquets to hand out to neighbors or family members to encourage kindness. For herbs, cutting them and heading to the kitchen to create something yummy is another great hands-on activity.
Create an outdoor scavenger hunt.
Spend the afternoon exploring outdoors finding insects, native plant species, animals, birds, or trees! Make it an adventure by adding little prizes or celebrations at each stop, so your kids can keep the excitement and momentum going.
Research National Parks or other outdoor spaces from home.
There are plenty of videos and pictures available online of some of our world’s most beautiful parks and outdoor spaces. Start by researching parks or places in your state, then venture out to explore some other areas that are well known. Some popular places to consider include the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Crater Lake, Yosemite, Joshua Tree National Park, or Grand Teton National Park.
Get crafty.
Create a solar system, put together an Earth Day sensory play station, spend some time coloring different flowers or plant printouts, or paint some rocks to hide around town with encouraging messages. There is no shortage of fun Earth Day crafts out there.
Our Earth is a special place that should be cherished and it’s important to teach children the responsibility of caring for it. These activities can inspire a lifelong love of helping the Earth!