Earth Day Activity Ideas
Earth Day is Thursday, April 22 and it's the perfect opportunity to not only enjoy the outdoors with the kids you babysit but also to teach and inspire them! We only get one planet and our kids can be the next generation to take care of it (and it definitely needs some TLC!).
To help you celebrate and honor Earth Day this year, we've rounded up a few of our favorite activities. They're a lot of fun, educational and help to make the world a prettier, healthier place.
Teach the children all about the nature that surrounds them — while getting them out of the house and keeping them busy! Set up a scavenger hunt that will require the kids to identify different flowers, leaves, birds and more. To "prove" they found each, have them draw a picture or take a photo (best to leave nature where it is!).
Neighborhood Cleanup
A simple, but immediately impactful Earth Day activity is a neighborhood cleanup! Grab gloves, a trash bag and a picker if you have one and get to work beautifying the block. Snag the stray bits of litter you come across and gather the recyclable bottles that escaped from the vending machine trash cans.
Everyone loves stationery. Now, the kids can put an Earth-friendly twist on their notes by making their own! It's surprisingly simple; even young children can participate. All you need is a bunch of old paper scraps (think of all those flyers you get in the mail!), newspaper or magazines, and you're well on your way.
Recycling STEM Projects
Sneak some science lessons into your Earth Day activities! Young kids can innovate and invent from recyclable grab bags. Teach older kids about water treatment (not usually an engaging topic!) and the Earth's crust — with pudding! There are tons of ways to help them learn about our planet and the many ways we can help take care of it while having fun.
Recycling Craft Projects
One person's trash can become another person's treasure! Using milk cartons, tin cans, sauce jars, newspapers and more that might otherwise get trashed or thrown into a recycling heap, the kids can instead create something beautiful for their home or garden. Got a bunch of baby food jars lying around? Turn them into delightful candles! Tin cans become a wind chime. That newspaper pile that's been slowly growing? It's now award-worthy art!
The Lorax
Reading a book is always a recommendation from CareFinder! And luckily, there are lots of great options that are perfect for Earth Day storytimes. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss, is a classic for a reason. You can also check out Curious George Plants a Tree, The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge and the rest of the books on this great list!
Bring nature closer to home with fun birdfeeders! Create ornaments for trees in your yard using gelatin, cookie cutters and birdseed. It's a simple craft that has big rewards when you get to watch the many winged visitors who show up for a snack. If you have bigger kids, and a little more patience, you can build a birdhouse/feeder combo. There are lots of fun ideas here!
Get Messy Outdoors
One of the best parts about celebrating and enjoying Mother Nature is how much easier it is to clean up after arts and crafts! Take the kids outside and let them get messy exploring finger paints, exploding crafts and sidewalk chalk. Create Earth Day greetings for the whole neighborhood with this colorful set from Crayola.
