Celebrating Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. Since 1970, April 22 has been set aside to remind us of the importance of taking care of our environment. This year is no exception, and since the date falls on a Monday, it’s very likely that your child will be observing Earth Day at school today. Still, there are some things that you can do to celebrate the special day with your child. Here are a few ideas for observing Earth Day:

• Serve Earth Day-themed foods. How about homemade granola for breakfast? Nuts, fresh or dried fruit and whole grains make a healthy meal and grow from the earth itself. If you pack your child’s lunch, try packing a salad; otherwise, serve a bright and colorful salad with dinner. If you can, buy organic and be sure to tell your kids why organic fruits and veggies are usually easier on the earth than their traditionally grown counterparts. Make some colorful “earth” cupcakes for dessert. Frost them with blue and green to look like the earth, and let them enjoy a special treat.

• Get out in the fresh air. It’s staying lighter later in the evenings now, so take advantage of the extra sunlight by going for an after dinner walk. If you live near a zoo or other outdoor attraction, maybe you can visit for a couple of hours after school or after dinner. You could also take the opportunity to work on your spring garden; if it’s not planting season in your area yet, it likely will be soon, and the ground might need to be turned, or seeds may be able to be started in a sunny room or porch.

• Upgrade your recycling routine, if you can. If you’re not already recycling everything that your local recycling company accepts, try to make the changes necessary to do so. Depending on your area, you might have to separate items into different colored bins or remove the plastic address windows from junk mail envelopes. If you aren’t sure what you need to do, call your waste management company and ask.

• Think about ways that you can reuse materials that you don’t need anymore. Instead of automatically throwing away items, you might be able to reuse them. For example, in some areas, the tops of milk and juice bottles can’t be recycled; maybe you can use them to replace lost checkers, or in some other game with missing pieces. Your kids might be able to come up with a game on their own. You could use old newspapers to make something out of paper mache; does your child have a project for school coming up in the near future? Try to think ahead, because often you can save money by using materials that you might have otherwise thrown away, instead of buying new ones.

How did you and your children observe Earth Day? Share with our readers!