Earth Day 2020 Ideas From Home
Earth Day is this Wednesday, April 22nd, which is right around the corner! Even though it may look a bit different this year because of the shelter in place order most states are under there are still several fun ways to help your children celebrate Earth Day from home.
Children are our future and Earth Day is the perfect time to teach them how to care for earth and keep it healthy.
If anyone is going to make a difference it’s going to be our children so why not teach them young with fun and interactive ways so they can enjoy while also learning!
Take a Nature Walk
Taking your kids on a nature walk is one simple way to observe Earth Day and is a great way to get kids outside and interacting with the environment.
Nature walks can take place in your own backyard, a park, or any place of outdoor interest. While on a nature walk there are several activities to help get the kids creative juices flowing.
1.
Scavenger Hunt
While you are on your nature walk, use this awesome nature scavenger hunt checklist card for some extra fun! (sign up here and instantly receive the checklist in your email)
You don’t have to be in a large space in order to check off most of these boxes which is nice because you don’t have access to an open nature area to play along!
Usually scavenger hunts warrant finding hidden items – this checklist card offers items that are in plain sight but we are so used to seeing them we don’t usually stop to take notice.
It is a fun way to teach the kids how many intricate parts are needed in order for nature to grow and live.
2.
Collect Art Supplies
This is a favorite activity for my kids and it’s so simple!
Grab a sandwich size Ziploc bag and label each one with your child’s name. Labeling just helps keep the fighting at bay for who’s bag is who’s when you get home (if your kids are anything like mine)
As you are walking along allow them to fill their bag with any items which fit inside the bag that they would like to use to create a poster at home. (Hence, the size bag – otherwise you might get some unwanted large sticks making their way to your house)
Once home grab a piece of paper and glue the items onto it and viola a souvenir of the specific items the kids found interesting!
3.
Texture Adventure
Along your walk have the kids touch items with differing textures and talk about how they feel. Examples would be: smooth, rough, pokey, crunchy.
These textures can come from different types of tree bark, grass, dirt, cement, rocks, leaves, etc. It’s another easy way for the kids to interact with nature!
Plant a Garden
Now is a great time to get started on the garden you’ve been thinking about!
This doesn’t have to be an extravagant activity for the kids either and here’s how to make it easy and fun for the kids.
Grab an old cup or bowl if you don’t have a pot.
You can let the kids dig up a little hole in the backyard to get dirt if you don’t have any potting soil on hand. (It’s really that simple!)
One of the easiest vegetables to grow are tomatoes and they offer a yummy reward! Here’s how it works:
Slice a tomato with 1cm thick cuts.
Use an inside slice of the tomato and bury it a quarter of the way down in your soil filled container. Make sure the slice is laying horizontally before you cover it up with dirt.
Water and allow to sit in a sunny windowsill.
Re-water when you feel the soil get dry and you should have sprouts in no time!
Be sure to replant into a large pot once the stems of the tomato plant are about 3-4 inches high.
*This can be done with fresh: peppers, garlic, peas, squash, potatoes, or beans!
Neighborhood Safari
National Geographic is encouraging everyone to participate in their Neighborhood Safari! They would like for everyone to create art of their favorite animals by drawing, coloring or using sidewalk chalk.
Display your artwork or favorite stuffed animal in a window to encourage your neighbors to do the same!
Be sure to share a picture of your art on social media using #NatGeoEarthDayAtHome .
Observe & Catalog Sounds and Animals
This activity can be done from just about anywhere! This morning my children and I were sitting on our back porch and were able to write down 35 sounds and animals we observed in just a matter of 20 minutes.
We heard car horns, someone cough, birds chirping, wind rustling the grass. We saw ants, a rabbit and a potato bug.
It is fun to watch the kids really focus in and get excited when they discover something new to write down.
In my home I have a 13 year old, 3 year old and a 1 year old so it always seems to turn into a competition between the oldest two.
While making our list we wrote down the initial next to who discovered it first and this competition to who could find more kept them both engaged, active and wanting to keep going. (Can I get a #momwin)
The good news is you are aldreay helping the Earth by staying home! Less cars on the road uses less gas and produces less pollution.
There’s another positive from this pandemic!
Please use #IGBCEarthDay to be featured on our Instagram and Facebook page for all of your Earth Day activities!
If you enjoyed this article please share to pass along these simple ideas to your momma friends!