5 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day With A Toddler

Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd and I for one am a believer that we should take care of our Earth. I mean I think we should do that all the time, but Earth Day serves as a time where we actually focus on that, and maybe can be used as a time to introduce your littles to the concept of taking care of the Earth.

1. Take a Nature Walk

Toddlers, in general, love to be outside. So let them be outside. Explore. Discover. And build an appreciation for their world.

2. Make a Nature Sensory Box

While on your walk, let your child pick up treasures (think fallen pinecones, small rocks, fallen sticks, nothing that will hurt them or the environment). Take them home and put them in a box for them to play with all week.

3. Introduce Recycling

In our home, one of our toddler’s jobs is to help throw things in the trash (or recycling). The waffle she just couldn’t finish: trash. Washed out baby food jars: recycling. This gives her responsibility, which she loves. And it also teaches her what is recyclable and what’s not.

4. Go on a “Green” picnic

Go outside, and take your lunch with you. Try to use as many reusable containers as possible and a reusable lunchbox or cooler. Let your kiddo help pack the lunch (i.e. putting their goldfish crackers into a container). Then let them help pack the containers back into the cooler when finished.

5. Plant some flowers

This is such a great sensory project and if your kid loves dirt, this is for you. My kid does not like dirt, but I gave her some tools (a fork and spoon) and she still had fun playing. Target even has seed-growing kits in their dollar section.

If these seem like a little too much work, and you live in the Twin Cities you could also attend one of these family-friendly Earth Day Events: Earth Day Events 2018