Earth Day is celebrated on April 22nd and is the perfect day to think about how we can honor our plant! We have some great ideas about how you and your family can learn about the planet Earth, work to clean it up and keep it that way – all while having fun as a family.

Plant Something

There’s a wide range of ideas on how and what you can plant. Seeds, seedlings (small plants usually found at the nursery) or even some vegetable scraps can be planted and will regrow!

Choose an area that has plenty of sunlight – even a window sill will work! Use pots, raised beds or directly in the ground. Research what grows best in your climate before choosing a seed or seedling and then get planting. Use a small cup or bowl of water and the roots of a bunch of celery, lettuce or onion. Put the root end into the water and place the vessel in a sunny window. The veggie will begin to regrow itself and can then be transplanted into soil.

Clean Up Trash + Recycle

Head out into your neighborhood or local park to pick up trash. It’s amazing how just a few pieces of garbage can make an entire are look sad! Take bags and pick up sticks, grabbers and or gloves. Sort the items you pick up that can be recycled and which are trash.

Recycle Item Sculpture

After you’ve had a chance to start your recycling program at home, take a few items from the bins, some hot glue and start creating! Use cans (be sure that sharp edges are removed) bottles, cardboard, paper rolls – anything at all to create a sculpture, robot, or create a panoramic scene in a box. Anything goes and the only limitation is your imagination!

Shadow Art

Using construction paper and some fun shaped items, head outside to an area that will remain sunny for several hours. Lay the items on the construction paper – leaves, toys, cookie cutters or even rocks are great to use. Make a pattern, layer or spread out evenly. Be sure to weigh down the edges of the paper if it’s a breezy day. Leave the items in the sun for several hours, and when you return, you’ll see that where the items were, has remained a darker shade and the exposed sections of the paper are now bleached! The power of the sun’s light creates beautiful art.

Unplug

Consider unplugging for Earth Day. That may be for just an hour or the entire day. Turn off the TV, put down phones and devices and enjoy some face time with your family. Head out for a walk or tackle some of the projects above.

Or pick up a great book to read together. Head to your local library or pick up a title from online: “The Adventures of the Aluminum Can, A Story About Recycling”, “Earth Day Everyday”, and “Compost Stew, and A to Z Recipe for the Earth”.

If reading gets old, write your own stories. Or a step by step guide to recycling, the recycling guidelines for your home – anything that gets little brains thinking about the earth.