More than one billion people participate in Earth Day, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
This year, make sure you join in on the action.
Celebrated annually on April 22, Earth Day is a welcome reminder to give our planet some much-needed TLC to ensure a better, healthier future. That means, you should carve out time to reassess your own carbon footprint and commit to making eco-friendly lifestyle changes. You can also turn it into a teachable moment for kids, helping them better understand the importance of taking care of the planet for all the generations to come.
There are so many different ways you can make an impact on Earth Day — and all the weeks, months and years to follow. From planning an eco-friendly picnic to participating in a yard sale, we’ve rounded up a bunch of fun Earth Day activities for you and your family to show your appreciation for Mother Nature.
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Take a virtual field trip
Spend the day traveling the globe without even needing to pack a suitcase. Stop by the Channel Islands in California, Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park and the Statue of Liberty in New York City — without even leaving your house. Just fire up your tablet or computer, and take in all the natural beauty that the world has to offer.
Write an Earth Day pledge
Take a moment to come up with all the ways — big or small — that you can turn Earth Day into Earth Year. Come up with a bunch of actionable ways that will encourage your entire household to care for our planet 24/7, 365. Some thought-starters: turning off the lights when you leave a room and taking shorter showers.
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Look out for the bees
Several species of bees are endangered due to deforestation, harmful pesticides and climate change. Preserve what's left by reducing pesticide use, filling your garden with pollinators and supporting local beekeepers. And perhaps, you buy your own hive and raise some honeybees of your own.
Make seed bombs
Soak paper scraps in water, shred them and combine the pulp with seeds until it forms a ball. Once dry, plant them in a flower pot or straight in the garden, then watch 'em grow. A tip: Wildflower seeds are your best bet since they germinate easily (and you'll be able to take in their beauty just weeks after planting).
Want to make seed bombs that resemble the Earth? Follow this tutorial from Little Bins for Little Hands.
Go camping in your backyard
Grab s’mores ingredients and head to your backyard for a night in nature. Take in the night sky and stargaze with your little ones before they head to bed. After all, immersing yourself in the outdoors is one of the best ways to appreciate all it has to offer.
Play a nature-themed bingo game
Take the fun outside and see who can exclaim bingo first! Make your own cards with nature images like different kinds of trees, plants, flowers, bugs, birds and furry creatures.
Attend a yoga class
Take a yoga class to not only connect with yourself, but the world around you. Chances are you'll find yourself in tree, mountain and waterfall poses throughout class, which take on a whole new meaning on Earth Day. While you're at it, look for classes designed for kids so they can get their om on too.
Make art out of recyclables
Turn trash into treasures by using materials from the recycling bin to create Earth Day masterpieces. Try making a picture of a tree out of egg cartons by cutting and painting the individual egg cups green and gluing them onto a canvas. Just add a brown trunk and any finishing touches.
Or get some Mod Podge and decoupage an empty jar with blue and green tissue paper to make a pencil holder that'll help you remember the day.
Paint flower pots and plant seeds
Want to get your kid's creative juices flowing? Paint one of their hands blue and stamp it on a plain flower pot. Take a paint brush and add some green markings on the handprint until it resembles the Earth. Or skip the blue paint altogether and use their fingerprints to form flower petals or ladybugs. Once it's dry, fill it with soil and seeds to turn this craft project into a science experiment.
Bake Earth-Day-inspired cookies
Earth Day cookies will be fun for the kids to make and even more fun for them to eat. Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe fit for the occasion by tinting half the batch blue and the other half green. Then take bits of each batch of colored dough to form a ball into a delicious worldly creation. Talk about a sweet way to honor Mother Nature!
Have a nature scavenger hunt
Search for natural wonders in your own backyard (think: a flower, squirrel, moss and so on). Give each scavenger a clipboard to keep track of their findings and a magnifying glass to really investigate their surroundings.
Read thought-provoking books
Head to the library with your little environmentalists. From classics like “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss or “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein to loads of newer titles about sustainability, pick up a bunch of planet-friendly books for kids of all ages.
Ground yourself
Kick off your shoes and give grounding a try. The practice, which many document on TikTok with the hashtag #grounding, has amassed almost 300 million views. But come to find out, it’s actually centuries old and suggests that direct contact of skin to the Earth’s natural electric charge offers a host of health benefits.
Assemble an inspired charcuterie board
If a culinary celebration is more your thing, jump on the charcuterie board trend and use your imagination to honor Mother Earth. Design a plant-forward board with fruits, vegetables, nuts, hummus, crackers, and dairy-free cheese. Or if you have a sweet tooth, make an Earth-themed dessert board by arranging cookies in the shape of the earth, flowers and butterflies. Finish it off with gummy worms, sharks, frogs and fish.
Host a yard sale
Reduce, reuse and recycle. Host a yard sale — either solo or with neighbors — to give items you no longer use a new home. If you really want to go the extra mile, donate some of the profits to a local or national environmental cause that’s meaningful to you.
Show off your green thumb
There are endless ways to create an eco-friendly space that will extend long past Earth Day itself. Plant a tree, assemble an indoor herb container or designate part of your yard as a pollinator or butterfly garden.
Adopt an endangered animal
Beloved animals like gorillas, rhinos and elephants are facing extinction due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, pollution, lack of food sources, overhunting and more. Look for organizations to sponsor or adopt endangered animals or if you want to make a difference without dipping into your wallet, sign an online petition to help protect these species for future generations.
Make a homemade bird feeder
Nurture your natural environment by creating a bird feeder for your winged neighbors. Simply fill empty milk cartons or plastic water bottles with bird seed. Watching feathered friends flock to the yard is bound to make your little ones smile with excitement (you, too!).
Start composting
Start saving those scraps! Incorporate the eco-friendly practice of composting into your regular household routine. Not only does it lighten the load at the landfill, but it'll make nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden. Find a method that works best for you and your family, whether you start small with a pail for banana peels or go all-out with an electric composter.
Go paperless
Help preserve trees by reducing your dependency on paper. Spend time on Earth Day switching settings so financial and bank statements are sent to you online rather than through the mail. Then think about how you can make this practice part of your every day going forward, whether it's paying bills electronically, opting for emailed receipts rather than printed ones or even using a digital planner.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
