Are you looking for nature activities for earth day?
In this day and age it’s becoming more and more difficult to embrace the outdoors. With the comfort of our centrally heated homes, televisions and social media, it can be tempting to spend most of our time on the sofa.
For children in particular, this is the world they are growing up in. A lot of children now have access to mobile phones and other electrical devices from a younger age, which is fantastic in so many ways including using them for education. But, it also means a lot of them are spending more time on devices indoors, and not enough time outside being active.
A study from Stanford Medicine found that, “About 25% of children received phones by age 10.7, and 75% by age 12.6” which is a fairly young age.
Phones may have their uses but we need to get kids outside more!
Take a look at my new book A year of nature walks and games for a ton of good ideas.
Nature Activities for Earth Day
Earth Day is on the 22nd of April 2023. A day to celebrate our Earth and our environment. Celebrating Earth Day with your children is a fantastic opportunity to remind and educate them about their environment and how important it is to protect. It also means you can use this day to encourage your children to spend more time outdoors doing activities as a family. We’ve lined up some active and creative activities for you and your children to do this Earth Day, so keep reading!
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Plant a tree, flower or vegetable patch in your garden
If you and your kids are wanting to do something for the environment, you could begin by planting a tree or some flowers in your garden. Trees emit more oxygen into the environment which is fantastic for humans and animals, but they also absorb carbon dioxide into their wood. Having trees is now more important than ever, as we live in a world where harmful gases are being emitted at a faster rate.
Gardening is also a lovely activity for all ages. Involving your children in gardening can expand their fine motor skills, knowledge of the earth and acts as a beautiful bonding activity for you and you both. You can also make it super fun for your little ones by allowing them to choose their own tree or plant and watch it grow.
But before you and your child(ren) plant the tree of choice, you may find this Tree Planting Tips Fact File helpful which gives a step by step easy guide to plant your tree. If you’re choosing to create a vegetable patch as well, this How to Create a Vegetable Patch could be a useful place for you and your children to start. It even includes planting labels for your sustainable veg! Build excitement for your children by allowing them to choose their favourite vegetables or fruit and support them in planting their choices. This Vegetable Garden Banner may also be a nice addition to your vegetable patch that your kids can proudly display themselves. You could even laminate the banner to ensure it lasts outside!
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Take a day trip – outside!
A lovely way to celebrate the Earth is to spend time outdoors, in nature. Doing something outside with your family is a great way to start. You could have a trip to your local botanical gardens, a nature reserve or a beach, or even have a picnic in your local park. You could use this free Planning The Best Picnic Ever Worksheet to plan the perfect picnic with your children. Ask them to help you write down which food and drink everyone would like at the picnic.
If you do choose to go on a walk, your little ones could use this Earth Day Scavenger Hunt to see what animals, plants and insects live in their area! This is also a fantastic opportunity to educate them about their environment and the things within it. If your children want to do some bug catching, they could use this Bug Hotel Display Poster to create a sanctuary for the bugs in your garden, too! If you choose to go to the beach, use this Beach Scavenger Hunt specifically made for finding treasures on the beach. Visiting the beach is a wonderful way to celebrate nature on Earth Day. Your children will be able to appreciate the sounds, smells and sights of the beach. Embrace the sand and build some sandcastles or, if it’s warm enough, you could even take your little ones swimming in the sea!
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Nature activities for Earth Day have to include Crafts!
Inject some fun with your children by helping them in creating some Earth Day themed crafts. This Handprint Earth Painting is a really quick, fun and easy craft – perfect for younger children. If you have older children, this Earth Door Hanger is a wonderful craft for them to create. They can display this on their bedroom door and it serves as a wonderful reminder of the Earth and what Earth Day is about.
Reminding or teaching your children about the importance of recycling is important, too. You can do this by creating fun crafts with them out of household packaging! Use plastic bottles, egg cartons, milk bottles or any recycled goods your little ones can get their hands on! They’ll love getting stuck in when creating this lovely Recycled Apple Tree Craft. It’s so simple and you only need a recycled cardboard tube (grab this from toilet roll or kitchen roll cut in half), card and paper. You may want to give your child a choice of some different crafts, so this Recycled Plastic Craft Instructions has plenty of quirky and unique ways to make your household waste fun.
You could even liven up your garden and encourage your children’s creativity by painting stones with them. This is a simple and cheap craft but gives such pretty and unique results. It will give your children the chance to be independent with their crafting, too. If you’re still looking for Earth Day activities, check out these 100 Fun Outdoor Activity Ideas which have something that tickles your fancy.
We hope you have enjoyed this blog and found it helpful. Enjoy celebrating with Nature Activities for Earth Day.
Please note: The “free” resources listed above are listed are free with a free Twinkl account. Pop over to Twinkl for more fab ideas
Further reading on Nature Activities for Earth Day
You might also like my earth day drawing ideas
