5 Easy Earth Day Activities for Kids

April 22 is the perfect day to try these five Earth Day activities for kids. The first Earth Day was in 1970 and was started to bring attention to environmental issues, such as pollution. It was a success that ended up causing the United States Environmental Protection Agency to be created later that year. You can bring that same awareness to your family with these Earth Day activities for kids.

When you do these activities as a family, they will create a time to talk about ways you can protect the planet and things your family already does on a day-to-day basis to be kinder to the environment.

1. Plant a tree together.

   Spring is the time to start planting. If you have a yard and would like to create some shade for your family or a climbing tree for your kids in the future, Earth Day is the perfect time to pick out a tree and plant it in your yard. Just make sure you pick a tree that will grow in your climate zone without needing a ton more water than what your area gets naturally. Then take some time as a family to pick a spot together (make sure you won’t be digging into any pipes or electrical lines) and head to your local nursery to find a tree that everyone will be happy with. You’ll get to plant a tree together that your family will be able to enjoy for years to come. You’ll also be making your family team stronger by working together to not only plant the tree but also deciding what tree to get (the family may have to figure out how to compromise). If you don’t have space for a tree, look at our garden ideas and plant a bush or some flowers or some plants that will provide your family with food.

2. Craft from recycled material.

   Before you take the recycling out next, have your kids pick a few items from it. Then see what type of craft they can come up with using those items. Paper towel or toilet paper rolls are a great place to start from, as are egg cartons or yogurt containers. Really anything can work. If you have paper bags, grab those as well, then pull out some markers or crayons. Anything goes here, and it’s a wonderful way to get your kid’s creativity flowing. If you need some ideas to start with, think pencil or pen holders out of paper towel or toilet paper rolls, a hat or face mask from paper bags or container lids, spring chicks or birds or flowers or insects out of egg cartons, or animal baskets or flowerpots or bracelets from yogurt containers. If you have some other recycled material, just google the item plus “craft ideas” and a ton will pop up.

3. Make a bird feeder. 

   If you have pinecones in your area, grab a pinecone, some string (make sure you use something visible and thick, not fishing line or dental floss that can become a hazard by getting tangled around the bird), some peanut butter or other type of nut butter, and some birdseed. Tie the string around the pinecone. Then slather the pinecone in the nut butter and roll the pinecone over birdseed until it sticks. Then hang the bird feeder in your yard. If pinecones aren’t available in your area, take a look at our post on making a hanging bird feeder from O-shaped cereal.

4. Make seed bombs or seed paper.

   And give some to your neighbors. Making these takes some preplanning as some of the items that are needed aren’t ones that everyone will have on hand. If you’re interested in making seed bombs, take a look at this seed bomb recipe from the Wildlife Trusts. After you’re done with them, you can throw them into a bare spot in your yard. If you’d prefer to write a note instead of throwing a seed ball, take a look at the seed paper recipe from Climate Kids.

5. Do some backyard birding.

   If you have binoculars, keep them handy. If not, that’s okay too. Get comfortable next to a window and see what birds reside in your yard. If there aren’t that many, make a birdfeeder first (see above) and try again. If you don’t have a bird identification book, then Google what birds are local to your area to identify the birds you see. Create a list that you can update whenever you see a new type. You can even turn this into an art project and draw the birds you see with colored pencils. Want to turn it into a family game? Have each member of the family draw a bird they observed while bird-watching and see if the other members of the family can identify each picture correctly. Have each person write their answers on a separate piece of paper. The one who guesses the most correctly wins.