Launched in 1970, Earth Day (celebrated annually on April 22nd) has become a global environmental movement–a day to appreciate our planet and to remind everyone why it’s more than just a little bit important to take care of our shared home. (Learn more about Earth Day here.)
Your child most likely learns about and participates in Earth Day events at school, but there are plenty of ways that you can and should celebrate this important day at home. And if your little one likes to share special days and holidays with his birth family, here are just a few fun activities and ideas to consider.
1. Make it crafty.
For some creative Earth Day idea overload check out this website for unique craft ideas on everything from turning recycled toilet paper rolls into cute desktop organizers to creating mini gardens using empty egg cartons, to making pretty Earth Day art with items found around the house, to decorating brown paper bag picnic totes that can be taken outside to enjoy nature at its best.
Pinterest also offers endless ideas for little ones and big ones alike to make and share an expression of Earth Day with the special people in their lives.
And if that’s still not enough ideas or your child wants to make it a little more personal, why not grab some recycled paper to create a special card with a message expressing her love and appreciation for her birth parents?
2. Go green.
Glue gun got you down? Put away the crafting tools and package up a packet of seeds, gift a young plant, or send a small shrub or tree! Why stop at a bouquet when you can plant a whole flower bed? Looking for something smaller scale? Consider gifting the ingredients for an indoor herb garden–from scratch or a pre-made kit–that can be enjoyed year round.
3. Get down and dirty.
Not a green thumb? Consider participating in a local cleanup event! Your child can take pictures to document his efforts to share later with his birth family while supporting and participating in a worthwhile activity through any number of organizations in his community. Better yet, he can encourage his birth family to do the same! Can’t find a cleanup close enough to home? Consider organizing your own Clean Up Your Block party using helpful fact sheets and tools from Keep America Beautiful.
4. Bug ‘em out.
If your little one is a future biologist in the making and you find that the inside of your home often becomes a temporary home to nature’s tiniest hitchhikers, a video or photo journal Steve Irwin-style (The Crocodile Hunter) showcasing her interest and love for her tiny friends enjoying their natural environment might be a unique idea and educational, too!
Earth Day is not just about protecting the land, sea, and sky, but about acknowledging the people we hold dear who make this planet a home worth fighting for.
Happy Earth Day!
