Earth Day Activities To Do With Kids

Happy Earth Day!

Today I thought I would share 5 easy things you can do with your kids to help them take care of our planet.

1. Plant flowers and trees. My kids love to get involved with gardening if I make it fun and exciting for them. They helped me plant some new succulents like the picture above for inside our house. Succulents are easy to take care of, just water them 1 to 2 times a week and give them a little bit of sun. Plants are a great way to naturally help purify the air in your home. Another great thing to plant are some herbs. You don't need a lot of room. Plant a few herbs in some mason jars and keep it on a window sill. They aren't just pretty but the kids will get a kick out of using them in their food.

2. Teach them to recycle. Buy a few cheap plastic bins to keep in the garage and label them with words paper, plastic and glass. If they aren't old enough to read, print out a few pictures. Teach them where they go and why we recycle. You can even take the plastic and glass to a local recycle center and earn some money for their piggy banks!

3. Pick up trash. Give them a small bag and some plastic gloves and let them pick up trash around your neighborhood, school, nature trails or the beach. They will love the pride they get from not only cleaning up the environment but knowing they are helping keep their community.

4. Save water. Something as simple as turning off the water while you brush your teach can save gallons of water. Using your own water bottle to fill up instead of buying water bottles at the store not only saves water and money but reduces the amount of plastic we use.

5. Go on a nature walk. You can bring a printable of things to look for, some binoculars, a blanket to sit on, a journal and markers to draw what they see and let them explore the world around them. Have them be quiet and listen to different sounds they might hear and guess what it is. Just have fun!

Are your kids doing anything special for Earth Day?