Earth Day Activities For Kids 2012: Crafts, Games, Recipes And More

This year, Earth Day falls on Sunday, April 22nd. While schools often have fun-filled projects and activities for kids, take this weekend as an opportunity to teach your child more about nature, sustainability, and what it means to be green.

On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million Americans rallied for a cleaner environment. According to the Earth Day Network, "At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity ... The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts."

Here are ten of our favorite Earth Day activities for kids. From baking and hiking to playing computer games, we looked for ways to involve children of all personalities in Planet Earth fun. Do you have something planned that's not on this list? Share your ideas in the comments below!

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Comments

[halcancom]

11:22 AM on 08/22/2012

I believe that taking our kids out on nature walks is a fantastic idea. The internet & all it's toys & components are great, but nature truly does get lost these days.

We take our grandsons out for nature hikes very often & they love it. And as well, it is so physically refreshing for them & us.

Thanks for the post!
Michael J.

http://rainydayactivitiesforkids.com

[nogo10games]

09:26 AM on 04/21/2012

play moshi monsters for earth day it's fun!and be my friend on moshi monsters my name is nogo10

[nogo10games]

09:21 AM on 04/21/2012

More fun for kids and family: Get your Earth Day GAME on with green boardgames of course: GRRO, LEED Fun Cards http://bit.ly/Ibbi8s

[SimonBao]

10:33 AM on 04/20/2012

Folks living near New Jersey's coast can (and should) join up for their local Beach Sweep on Saturday, April 21. Every year Clean Ocean Action helps to sponsor and promote annual Beach Sweeps that put folks to work cleaning up the beaches, doing restoration work, removing invasive plant species, etc. It's "all ages" activities, for individuals, families, small groups, large groups...

http://www.cleanoceanaction.org/

Similar activities are sponsored across the country at lakes, rivers, streams, etc. Folks just need to do a bit of Googling to discover what's on in their area.

[Danielle Brigida]

01:12 AM on 04/20/2012

Great post! You can also check beoutthere.org for activities and naturefind.org for places to get outside! But most importantly, just go enjoy this beautiful earth! :)

[livegan]

10:36 PM on 04/19/2012

"As environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future: deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease." Worldwatch Institute, "Is Meat Sustainable?"

"The livestock sector emerges as one of the top contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Livestock’s contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale and its potential contribution to their solution is equally large. The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency." UN Food and Agricultural Organization's report "Livestock's Long Shadow"

“If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetables and grains... the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.” Environmental Defense Fund

Why would someone choose to be vegan? To slow global warming for one! Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why so many people are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org