5 Simple Earth Day Activities for Families

Inside: Celebrate Mother Earth with these five easy Earth Day activities for families that are simple, fun, and help children understand how to respect our planet.

I have lived in San Diego, California, for 16 years now and I can honestly say the climate has changed.

When I first arrived in San Diego everyone warned me about “May Gray” and “June Gloom.” Contrary to popular belief, California is not sunshine and beach weather year-round!

The months of May and June, in particular, were always known to be gray and even cold (travel hint for those looking to visit, the best summer months here are July, August, and September).

These days May Gray and June Gloom are just about gone as this weather pattern has been broken. The California winters are much more rainy and even colder and our summers are so much drier and hotter.

This regional climate shift is clearly part of the global environmental change that is being experienced all over the planet.

Climate change is real and we are witnesses to it as we live today.

So, what does this mean for us now and for our families? How can we teach our children the gift of Planet Earth is just that — a gift — to be enjoyed during their lifetimes but passed on to the next generation?

One way is to recognize Earth Day with our families as a reminder of how vital it is to protect our environment and live accordingly. With Earth Day every April, its message of respecting our world has never been more important.

Everyday choices such as turning off lights and recycling are standard, but there are additional steps we can take to recognize Earth Day (and beyond).

Please see below for a few easy Earth Day activities for families that can help teach the valuable lesson of respect for our planet and spark discussion with young ones.

Mother Earth is a gift. Let’s treasure her.

Earth Day Activities for Families

Get in the dirt and plant seeds

Grab a few seed packets and potting soil and let everyone get to work. We all know kids love to get dirty and there’s nothing better than doing so side-by-side with Mom or Dad.

If you don’t have a suitable outdoor space, use empty mason jars to grow herbs.

By planting your own garden you create a natural habitat for birds and butterflies. By planting vegetables or herbs your family can enjoy eating farm-to-table from your own backyard.

A win-win either way for supporting our planet’s resources.

Have a trash party cleanup

This Earth Day, head to your local beach, park, or waterway, give everyone a small trash bag and spend 15 minutes picking up trash. Even the youngest ones can participate in this activity.

Check out VolunteerCleanUp.org to locate an official clean-up near you.

Not up for a field trip to the park or local river? Perhaps take a walk around your local school playground or your very own neighborhood! Showing kids the kindness and civic responsibility of keeping trash out of our eco-systems can be done in any outdoor location.

Conserve home energy — make it a game

My father hated lights being left on in an empty room. Now, to be honest, I believe this was coming more from a “saving money” point-of-view not “saving the planet” lol. But his message rang loud then and even today as I continuously turn off lights in rooms and tell my kids to do so.

Encourage family members to limit home energy use by turning off lights when leaving a room, unplugging unused electronics, or opening a window instead of turning on a fan.

Make it a contest to see who can use the lowest amount of energy. For example, who can brush their teeth without the water running, who turns off the most lights when they are not in use, or who can take the fastest shower?

Switch to from disposables to reusables

You are probably already using reusable lunch containers and water bottles for school but try to limit all waste today. For example, only use cloth napkins and dishtowels instead of paper.

Have your children re-use the same water bottle all day and not reach for a new glass that will have to be washed and definitely no plastic bottles.

Have an eco-friendly family movie night

Stay in and enjoy a family movie night. There are many movies geared towards kids with an environmental message.

From the list suggestions below some movies are animated while others are “live” with beautiful imagery of our planet.

Make it extra eco-friendly with these 7 Zero or Low Waste Popcorn Recipes from Honestly Modern.

• Our Planet
• Dr. Seuss: The Lorax
• Happy Feet
• March of the Penguins
• WALL-E
• There are many nature and animal documentaries on Disney+

Do you recognize Earth Day with your family? If so, in what way and what ages are your kids? Please post in the comments below, I’d love to hear!