Earth Day is Friday, April 22, but your family can celebrate Earth Day every day with these 10 easy tips. Connecting to the Earth and nature will start your kiddos on the path to lifelong conservation and an earth-friendly attitude. We have to start somewhere—why not these 10 simple ideas.
Tip #1
Reduce – make it a family practice. Turn off the water when brushing teeth, use both sides of the paper when drawing/coloring or other craft projects, and turn off lights when no one is in the room.
Tip #2
Reuse – get a lunchbox instead of a paper bag, use fabric from old and out-grown clothes as wrapping paper or in art projects, use cloth napkins at the dinner table.
Tip #3
Recycle – Research and create a homemade composting bin for food scraps and kitchen trash.
Tip #4
Upcycle – shop your home for a family project. Walk around the house together and look for items that you’re tired of—or something that may need light repairs. Give that item a fresh, new look or function with some creativity and simple, family ingenuity. It can be as simple as a new bright new color of paint—the item will be new again!
Tip #5
Connect – go for a nature walk. Take pictures of bugs on your hike and do some research on each when you get home. Check out flowers, trees, grass, rivers and wildlife. Have a conversation about what you saw.
Tip #6
Clean our planet – walk around your block or a community area and pick up garbage.
Tip #7
Conserve gasoline – walk or ride your bikes for errands two or three miles away from home.
Tip #8
Conserve water – collect rainwater and use it to water houseplants or your garden.
Tip #9
Repurpose – used glass jars make great leftover containers and bulk storage.
Tip #10
Go local – take the family to a local farmer’s market. Eat out at restaurants with locally sourced and fair trade food.
We can talk ourselves into believing there’s no time to help our planet. The busy day-to-day lives we lead often get in the way. It doesn’t take much—just a starting point, conversations as a family, and the simple realization: It’s the only planet we’ve got. Your family can make a difference together!
