Earth Day has always been one of my favorites to celebrate. I remember being young and spending Earth Day moments with my family. Planting seeds and excitedly waiting for them to sprout was my favorite activity! There were other years when we donned rubber gloves to pick up trash in the park or around our neighborhood, or when we decorated paper grocery store bags with drawings that encouraged people to, “Reduce, reuse, and recycle!”
As an adult, I try to make active choices in my daily life to reduce my ecological footprint (the impact I make on the environment by the demands I make on nature’s resources). Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to revisit these choices and make some extra commitments! I thought I’d share with you some of the ideas today and encourage you, as an individual or as a family, to choose your own commitment to our planet.
Eco-friendly Household Changes
- Carry reusable shopping bags.
- Purchase items in bulk to limit plastic packaging.
- Set shower timers.
- Switch to energy efficient light bulbs.
- Get cozy with your recycling guidelines, and recycle everything you can!
- Consider composting instead of throwing out plant matter.
- Plant your own garden.
- Shop as locally as possible, including from small businesses and farms.
- Wait until clothing and personal items wear out or break before purchasing new ones. Consider swapping clothes with friends instead, or purchasing from thrift or consignment shops.
- Switch newspapers, magazine subscriptions, and bills to digital versions.
- Reduce waste by choosing reusable products over disposable, including water bottles, coffee cups, straws, plates, napkins, towels, silverware, etc.
- Reduce your consumption of animal products, especially those that do not come from local farms.
Fun activities for Earth Day – or any day!
- Go for a nature walk. Find a new park or trail to explore.
- Start seeds in your house, plan your garden, or plant outside (weather permitting).
- Sprout seeds for cooking and eating. Here are some instructions: www.darngoodveggies.com/plant-basics-how-to-grow-sprouts-in-a-jar/
- Clean out your closet and arrange a clothing swap.
- Learn to cook a new plant-based meal. These look delicious to me! www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/
Especially for Kids…
- Collect items from nature to create artwork or a collage.
- Arrange a clothing or toy swap with friends.
- Kids enjoy growing things, too, so plant seeds together. Here’s a guide to seed starting: https://buggyandbuddy.com/gardening-kids-planting-seeds-free-printable/
- Conduct experiments like these to learn more about the environment and pollution: https://www.steamsational.com/stem-activities-for-earth-day/
- Do some Earth Day yoga! https://www.kidsyogastories.com/earth-day-yoga/
I hope you find some ideas or activities here that help you and your family improve your environmental choices build sustainable practices. If you try something out, I’d love to hear what you think!
Love, Stephanie
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