Teach your kid about Earth and the environment with these hands-on activities.
Earth Day is almost here! For us, it’s a time to celebrate all our planet has to offer, revel in its awesomeness and empower kids to protect this place we call home, now and for generations to come. These fun activities will broaden your kid’s awareness about eco challenges like deforestation, pollution and global warming while teaching them how to take action for a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow. Check ‘em out below!
1. Plant a love of nature.
Getting your kid excited about gardening is a great way to teach them about where our food comes from, and how Earth sustains life all year around. From letting kids plant a tree and growing their own veggies to visiting community gardens and farms, there are so many ways to delight their curiosity and their senses outdoors while building an appreciation for Earth’s bounty. Here are a couple of ideas we particularly love.
Grow potatoes in a bag.
Grow bags are a super easy way for kids to learn the fundamentals of growing food. You can snag one of these or make your own out of a reusable grocery bag. Then fill it with planting soil and find a spot in front of a window where it can soak up lots of sunlight. From there, just plant the seeds, water it every day and watch the ‘em sprout. The best part is they don’t require a lot of space and or need to create an entire garden, and they can last multiple seasons before needing to be replaced. They aren’t limited to potatoes, either. Together you can try out carrots, onions, beets and even tomato plants and peppers. As you prep the seeds, you can talk about different types of produce, the water cycle and more. Check out our Earth Day collection for some good conversation starters.
Make a terrarium.
Terrariums—tiny gardens housed inside jars, bowls or other glass containers—are a super fun way for kids to get their hands dirty exploring their creativity. Starting with a container, some soil, decorative rocks and a small assortment of plants, you can use toys or anything else you have around the house to create a beautiful mini gardenscape. Some ideas could include plastic dinosaurs, animals, fairies or sea-life.
Want to make it edible? Try growing some herbs. Varieties that do well in terrariums include dill, basil and chamomile. Extra education points for showing your kid how you use them to prepare family meals. Check out this post for instructions on how to build a basic terrarium.
Want more tips on getting your kid into planting and growing? This article is full of ideas on how to safely nurture a love of gardening in your kid.
2. Take an outdoor field trip.
When it comes to learning about the Earth, nothing beats experiencing it firsthand. So grab your comfy shoes and go exploring with an app as a field guide. You can take a simple stroll around the block or hit a local trail, using your phone camera to identify the wildlife around you. Apps like Leafsnap let you capture the images of flowers, trees, fruit and plants you encounter on your trek and it’ll identify the species. It’s an enriching way to get some exercise while you discover the hidden worlds that are thriving all around you. Other apps like Picture Insect and Merlin Bird ID can help you identify bugs and birds, too.
3. Tap into their inner scientist.
Does your kid like to experiment? Break out the (figurative) lab coats and learn about global warming from the safety of your kitchen. This easy at-home science experiment can be done with kids 7 and up. It’ll teach them about the life-supporting role of the sun’s heat for life on Earth, and show them the greenhouse effect in action by walking them through how to build their own mini greenhouse model. Start with a glass vase, a couple of paper cups, potting soil, a spray bottle and a thermometer and within 20 minutes, you’ll both have a better understanding of how climate change and global warming work.
4. Show them how to help.
Now that your kid has some foundational knowledge of our environment, help them do their part to stem some of the challenges we face. You can teach your kid about the three Rs of waste management—Reduce, Reuse and Recycle—and how these principles help us, our community, and the environment by saving money, energy and natural resources. Find ways to put them into practice more in your home and challenge them to think through ways that can reduce waste in their day to day. Here are some ways to make it fun:
Set up a donation station
Donating items we don’t use has the dual benefit of reducing the burden on landfills while helping others who might be in need. To keep it top of mind for your kid and the rest of your household, set up a dedicated space for everyone to drop toys, clothing and other items they no longer use. Reward them for their effort, then take a trip to a donation center and explain how donating, rather than throwing away old items, benefits everyone.
Get crafty!
Chances are after a couple of years of being home and shopping more online, you may have some extra cardboard boxes piling up in a corner somewhere. Sure, you can break them all down and take them to a recycling center, but it might be a little more fun for you and your kid if you turn a few spare boxes into a project instead. With just a few supplies, like paints, markers, scissors and contact paper you can turn them into something awesome. They can make a sign for their bedroom door, a decorative picture frame or even a cardboard guitar. Check out this post for even more ideas.
Repurpose old or broken items.
Do you have some stuff laying around that’s past its prime? Instead of throwing these items out, repurpose them in fun, creative ways. This article is filled with unexpected ways you can breathe new life into your “junk.” Some highlights include transforming an old entertainment center into a play kitchen, turning a dresser into a stylish bench and reimagining an old book as an art supply carrying case.
5. Break out the picture books!
One of our absolute favorite ways to celebrate and learn about Earth Day is, you guessed it, reading! With tons of fiction and nonfiction titles on topics ranging from caring for our environment and to learning about global warming, this special Earth Day collection will entertain your kid and teach them good habits and empower them to become responsible citizens and stewards for our planet.
We hope you enjoy some of these activities and book suggestions with your kid. To learn more about Earth Day, its founding and some important environmental initiatives for 2022, visit Earthday.org.
Happy planting!
