10 Fun Family Ideas for Earth Day

Rural Mom welcomes guests Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family

While Earth Day is about serious matters, why not use it as an opportunity to enjoy your family and focus on fun activities too.

Here are 10 Earth Day ideas everyone can enjoy.

1. Play Pin the tree on the Earth

One thing the Earth needs is more trees, right? They’re being cut down faster than they can be planted. Playing this game is a great way to explain the issue to kids and inspire them (and you, to take action).

This homemade game is made from Ecospun felt (from recycled plastic bottles), but you could make one out of paper if you prefer.

The winning player can be the one who pins the tree closest to North or South America or in an ocean without touching land.

2. Go on an Earth Day Treasure hunt
Write a series of clues on pieces of recycled or pre-used paper, leading from your home around the neighborhood to a “treasure chest” containing some organic treats or small treasures like polished rocks and seashells. The clues should focus on the outdoors and be tailored to the age of the children.

3. Read eco books together. Find a nice nearby tree, sit together beneath it. Read and discuss a meaningful book with an environmental theme like The Giving Tree. Here’s a list of great titles for kids of every age.

4. Visit an organic farm, preferably one with animals if you’ve got kids in tow. Find one near you at http://www.localharvest.org/

5. Volunteer! There are many organizations that will welcome families with children of all ages.

6. Download an Earth Day kit from the EPA. It’s filled with loads of ideas for fun activities.

7. As a family, take the 5-minute quiz at Practically Green. Find out how green you are and choose three actions that will improve your score.

8. Start a garden. If you’ve never done it before or don’t have room, just fill a container with the best dirt you can find (be sure the container has drainage). Follow the directions on a package of mixed greens. You’ll be nibbling lettuce very quickly. (And a secret you might not know. Children who grow veggies, actually tend to eat them even when they claim not to like them!)

Or plant some trees. You can get 10 trees for free when you join the Arbor Day Foundation.

9. Go no waste for the day. That means no purchasing anything in a package or at least, reusing or recycling any packaging, newspaper or anything else possible. It also means not tossing food scraps. If you don’t want to eat it, compost, put into the freezer for later soup making, share it with neighbors, anything but throw it into the trash. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a habit of no waste!

10. Do a recycled craft. Make birdhouses from milk cartons. Craft a solar oven from a pizza box (or any cardboard box). Download a list of endangered species and create your own hand drawn calendar. Empty out a drawer each, but instead of throwing away what’s you don’t want, challenge yourselves to make something from it!

Whatever you do on Earth Day, spend a bit of time noticing what nature gives us and give a little something back!