Earth Day Projects for Kids
Earth Day is celebrated every 22nd day of April every year. This event was founded by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator, in 1970. It was originally celebrated in the United States alone but became a global event in 1990 when its first national coordinator, Denis Hayes, started an organization that focused on international Earth Day activities. Below are a number of Earth Day projects that you can use to make your kids more aware and appreciative of their natural environment.
Camping Trips
Take your children to a camping trip where they could explore different species of flora and fauna. You can then show them the various ways that simple human activities contribute to environmental pollution and lead to global warming.
Coloring Activities
Browse the Internet for free coloring activities. Look for drawings that focus on natural landscapes such as mountains and rivers. Drawings that feature a variety of animals as well would be ideal. After you award kids with the best colored pages and offer consolation rewards for the rest, you can use the colored pages to describe the various ways that the environment suffers in the hands of man.
Movie Night
Scan your favorite video store or rental outlet for animated and live action movies that have environmental themes. Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest is a classic favorite. For older children, consider documentaries such as The Cove. While it does not deal directly with environmental pollution, the movie teaches its audience to value its responsibility as stewards of nature and protect weaker species.
Zoo or Safari Excursion
If you have the time and budget, consider booking a safari vacation for the entire family. This will give your kids a greater sense of understanding of the kind of habitat that animals have a vital need for but which human activities, for the sake of profit, are taking away.
If there is no chance to book a safari then you can also visit national parks, zoos, and animal-oriented theme parks.
Role Playing
For large gatherings, you could assemble kids into several groups and assign different environmental topics for each of them. They must then create a short play that focuses on the theme.
Earth Day projects for kids must always end with a positive note: remind them that they have the power to change the future and that even at their age, there are many things they can do to protect and nurture the world they live in.