Happy Earth Day! Today we celebrate this spinning globe we call the earth and all that the natural world has to offer. I’ve shared Preschool Activities for Earth Day before, but today I’m talking about simple ways to celebrate the day (or all of Earth Month) with your preschooler. Be sure to enter our Earth Day Giveaway at the bottom of this post.
Do Something Outside – A nature walk with your kids or some time in the garden can be a perfect way to celebrate Earth Day. Get outside and in to nature as often as possible. We live in the middle of a HUGE city, so this can be a challenge. We take walks on our neighborhood green belt, visit the nature preserve, and our local arboretum. If the weather permits we play outside every day. We created a little space in our backyard for a “discovery garden” where the kids collect rocks, sticks, and various treasures to explore. Read our tips for taking nature walks with kids here. Talk about what you see, smell, and hear. We smell the flowers. We touch the dirt. We pick up rocks, flowers, and sticks. Talk about all of it with your kids and don’t be afraid to let them get their hands dirty. Their natural curiosity will come out and they will wonder about everything they see and learn more about the world around them.
Start a Green Project – Plant a tree, start some seeds, begin a compost heap, start a recycling bin, create a toy out of recycled materials, anything that gets them thinking and learning about the earth and conservation. Find ideas for Earth Day activities for preschool kids here.
Have the older ones teach the younger. Our son loves to show his baby sister all that he knows about the natural world. We go on a “baby school” walk and he shows her the birds, talks about the trees, and picks up flowers, leaves, and sticks to show her. They both love it and are completely engaged with each other and the natural world. When we visit our local science museum, our son loves to explain the exhibits to his sister. They both learn as he teaches her.
Meet animals face to face. Ideally this would happen in the wild, but that isn’t always safe or possible. If you are city locked like we are, this means a visit to the pet store, animal shelter, zoo, or aquarium. Learning about animals in books or on television shows is great, but meeting them up close is so much better. Farm visits can be really fun and allow kids to meet the animals that provide their food. We like to visit the ducks and turtles in our local park, and try to spot new types of birds. This gets kids invested in the animal world and beginning to care about their fellow creatures.
How do you celebrate Earth Day with your kids? Read more about simple ways to give your kids a green childhood here.
Be sure to check out the Every Parent’s Guide to Natural Parenting and Earth Month Blog Hop at ALLterNATIVElearning for the best green living tips and information to help you celebrate Earth Month. 