Today is Earth Day! Every year we remember the ways we can help make our planet a greener and more beautiful place to live! One of the greatest things about Earth Day is that it is very easy to get kids involved. There are so many wonderful ways kids can learn to take care of the planet and make our Earth a little better and brighter.
Start a Garden
After quarantine, most of us probably have a garden we planted to help avoid cabin fever! While the internet is littered with DIY garden projects, you and your children can actually make a simple garden with some dirt, seeds, and pots! Head to Lowes or Home Depot and let the kids pick out what seeds they’d like to plant. Make it their job to water the plants every morning. You can also paint the pots and make a whole project out of it!
Park Clean Up
We have so many beautiful parks in central Texas and many great park clean up projects. But even without an officially project, heading to the local park to pick up trash is a great activity! Get your kids a fun grabber and a trash bag and make it a contest!
Meatless Mondays
How do pancakes for breakfast, Peanut butter and Jelly for lunch and mac and cheese for dinner sound? It sounds vegetarian and kids friendly to me! Eating fewer meat products can help reduce greenhouse gases. While many of us love Whataburger way too much to go full vegetarian, Meatless Mondays can be a fun alternative to limit animal consumption and experiment with healthy meals for the kids!
Bird Feeder
There are so many different ways to make birdfeeders. You can go simple with a pine cone or an apple and some peanut butter. You can get some popsicle sticks or even be more advance and try a beginner bird house!
Visit Farms and Farmers Markets
Central Texas has so many wonderful working farms to visit. Many of them also allow you to pick fresh fruits and vegetables to bring home. The farmers’ markets around central Texas are also a great activity to do with kids. Supporting our local famers is a great way to help the planet and teach kids about where their food is from.
Camping and Hiking
Getting out in nature is a wonderful way to appreciate the beauty the Earth has to offer. Check out the many great camping spots nearby. While Texas weather is unpredictable, now is one of the best times to get out of the house and spend a night under the stars! Many of the camping spots in central Texas offer great fishing, swimming and hiking. Your kids will have to work really hard to muster up an “I’m bored” in some of these camping spots!
Earth Day Films and Shows
I could probably write an entire blog post featuring all the amazing movies and TV shows that talk about Earth Day! Disney Plus even has an entire section of their streaming service dedicated to all their movies about the planet! There is so much great content out there for your kids to enjoy and learn from.