Earth Day comes once a year on April 22, but we can continue to celebrate nature today and every day with these Earth Day activities!
Earth Day Activities
- pollinator garden
- clean up
- nature walk
- animal facts
- sit spot
- citizen science
- edible garden
- nature journal
- native bees
- new perspective
1. Plant a pollinator garden
Support your local pollinators by planting a pollinator garden. Look into native plants to support native pollinators and watch them gather!
More information here:
- 20 Ways Kids Can Help Save and Protect Pollinators
- Themed Gardens: Spark Your Kids’ Interests And Watch Them Grow
2. Help clean up a local trail or park
Contact local conservation and park organizations to find out if they have any official trail clean-ups scheduled. Or you can arrange your own clean-up!
Grab some gloves, a grabber and a garbage bag and make the trail, park, field and beach better than you found them!
3. Go on a nature walk
Go on a nature walk together! Choose your favorite trail or find a new one.
Ask your town for local trail maps, look into state parks and nature societies, or research preservation societies like the Trustees to explore unique properties.
Want to make your nature walk a little more exciting? Check out our ideas for making them extra-ordinary:
- 5 Easy Nature Walk Ideas to Help Get Your Kids Outside Today
- Get Outside and Explore Nature with Outdoor Scavenger Hunts
4. Learn something new about an animal
Nothing inspires curiosity quite like nature and the animals that live in it.
What animal are you wondering about today? Or do you love trivia and want to add to your general knowledge?
Check out my growing list of animal fun facts:
- Fun Facts about Animals to Inspire Your Kids’ Curiosity
- Collective Nouns for Animals: A great source of humor and creativity!
5. Sit spot + gratitude
Find a sit spot, enjoy a moment of quiet and make a list of your favorite things in nature. See just how man you can write down!
Think about things that you experience in different ways: you favorite view, your favorite smell, your favorite sound, your favorite texture, your favorite thing to do in nature…. The options are endless!
For other sit spot activities to enjoy during your moments of quiet, check out this post:
6. Do citizen science
Participate in a citizen science project!
Citizen science is a great opportunity for kids to participate in hands-on or observational activities that help the natural world (and science!), all while spending time outdoors.
It’s a great way to give back to nature while supporting scientists’ conservation efforts. You don’t need a scientific background or any experience at all. Anybody can participate!
Get started here:
7. Plant an edible garden
Gardening is a wonderful hand-on activity that connects kids to the soil, helps them relax, teaches them about plant cycles, and might even encourage them to eat more vegetables.
I have several posts to help support your efforts:
- Square Foot Gardening for Kids Made Easy
- Themed Gardens to Spark Your Kids’ Interest
- How Gardening Helps Kids Grow
8. Start a nature journal
Writing a nature journal is a beautiful way of documenting and appreciating your experiences in nature.
For a guided activity, choose a favorite tree that you will study all year, watching it change through the seasons.
Use my printable nature journal pages or start your own!
9. Help native bees
Choose an activity to help support your native bee populations. They need your help!
Here are some helpful resources to get you started:
- 7 Ways Kids Can Help Save Native Bee Populations
- How Kids Can Support Native Bees by Building Bee Hotels
10. Find a new perspective
Look at and admire nature around you from a different perspective.
- from up in a tree
- through a magnifying glass
- lying on your back
- through a pair of binoculars
There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, but we can also continue to honor the spirit of the day year round with these Earth Day activities. Connect with nature, take action to support and preserve it, and remember why it’s important to care. Let’s celebrate Earth Day every day!
