5 Fun Ideas for Celebrating Earth Day with Your Kids

Earth Day is almost here! Are you ready? If not, no worries. There is still plenty of time to plan a fun activity to celebrate Earth Day (April 22) with your kids. Here are a few of my favorites:

Visit a Local Park

Springtime is the perfect time to take your kids to the park for a little bit of fun in the sun. This Earth Day, visit a local park and use it as an opportunity to explore the outdoors and teach your kids about the wonderful world all around us. Take time during your visit to point out cool looking plants, flowers and birds. If you see something and don’t know what it is, snap a picture or jot down a description. When you get home, ask your kids to help you identify it.

Not sure where to go? Use National Wildlife Federation’s NatureFind tool to find parks, trails and other nature sites near you.

Plan an Outdoor Photo Scavenger Hunt

Whether you have an hour or an entire weekend, a scavenger hunt is an easy activity that doesn’t require a lot of planning. Simply put together a list of plants, animals other natural things in your backyard (or print this one), grab your camera or smartphone, and head outside. When you find the items on the list, snap a photo and check it off. This activity is a great way to explore your backyard, neighborhood, or any green space with your children. Here is a great guide to get you started.

When you finish, look through the photos with your kids, pick the best one, and enter it into our National Wildlife magazine photo contest! There is a special Youth category for ages 13-17. Younger kids can enter Ranger Rick’s Photo contest.

Find a Puddle. Jump in It.

Does your local Earth Day forecast call for rain? Don’t let wet weather keep you indoors. Grab your raincoats and boots and take your kids outside for some good old fashioned puddle jumping! Maybe even do a little singin’ in the rain to make the experience even more memorable. Take a moment to explain to your kids the importance of spring showers, both for growing flowers and giving birds in the backyard a puddle of their own to play in.

It’s good to remember that kids can have fun in any weather. In our latest parent guide, we show you how getting outside, no matter the weather, is beneficial to your family.

Teach Your Kids to Fish

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of days spent fishing at the local lake with my family. Catching fish was never really the point – we rarely caught anything and if we did, we tossed them back in. Instead, fishing trips were our escape from the craziness of everyday life. Nothing is more relaxing than tossing out a fishing line and reeling it in!

This Earth Day, grab a pole and head out to your local fishing hole with the kids in tow. New to fishing? It is easier than you think to get started. Check out this article for helpful tips to get your kids hooked on fishing.

Pledge to Be Out There

Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to take the pledge to Be Out There and help NWF reach our goal of getting 10 million American kids out of their indoor habitat and into the great outdoors.

Taking the pledge is a great first step toward improving your child’s overall health and happiness. Once you take the pledge, Be Out There will show you how easy it is to incorporate more outdoor play into your child’s life with helpful tips and ideas.

Finally, don’t forget to share the pledge with the other people in your life who you would like to Be Out There with!