Happy Earth Day to You!

Earth Day is April 22. This day was created to spread awareness, information, and support of environmental protection across the world. It is the perfect chance for you to talk about recycling, saving water and energy, protecting plants and animals, and reducing pollution. It is important to teach our children how to care for the Earth, and how to keep it healthy and clean for all the generations yet to come.

Spend time with your child celebrating Earth Day.  Here are some ideas:

Read a book with your child.

• It’s Earth Day! (Little Critter book) by Mercer Mayer
• The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
• Our Big Home by Linda Glaser
• The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanna Cole
• Biscuit’s Earth Day Celebration by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Make some natural crafts with your child.

• Make a pinecone bird feeder
• Plant seeds in an eggshell
• Make a birdhouse out of a milk carton
• Use recyclable materials to make an art creation

Perform an experiment with your child.

Teach your child about the greenhouse effect. This is where the Earth’s atmosphere acts like a blanket and traps gases inside. Over the years, we have added to all these gases and created more heat. The increased heat is causing the climate to change.

1. Line a large bowl with dark paper. Place the bowl in the sun and put an inverted paper cup in the bowl.
2. Lay a thermometer across the top of the cup so that you are measuring the air temperature in the bowl. Write down the temperature.
3. Cover the bowl with a sheet of clear plastic wrap. Watch as the temperature rises. The temperature rises because the heat gets trapped inside.

Do activities outside while enjoying and caring for Mother Earth.

• Plant a tree
• Start a garden
• Go for a bike ride
• Bring a trash bag and gloves to pick up litter while you are out for a walk
• Start a composting pile
• Plant a bee garden

Even little changes can make a big difference. The more you model recycling and resource conservation, the more your child will care for the Earth.