It’s Earth Day! Since having my son, Earth Day has meant a little more to me. I recycle, but unfortunately, I can’t say I do a whole lot else to conserve. This day in April reminds me that I should do better. There’s a sweet little thing under my roof (and similar ones under millions of other roofs) that needs a clean, healthy planet for decades to come. And while I can’t fix the ozone or stop pollution, I can instill an appreciation for Mother Earth in the next generation.
If you have a preschool aged (or a little younger or older) child, Earth Day is a great excuse to spend some time in the great outdoors. When kids like being outside and exploring, they’ll care more about keeping those places protected and clean. That’s why we always do a nature walk on Earth Day.
It doesn’t matter if you live near a spectacular national park or if you are in an urban environment, you can get your kids excited about a “nature walk” anywhere. Even our most crowded cities have parks—go there! Another option we use is nature preserves. Even if you don’t think there are any natural areas nearby, get on Google. You’ll probably be surprised to find there are trails in preserves that abut neighborhoods. You’ve probably driven by them countless times—give it a try!
I don’t know about your kids, but mine loves to make regular things more challenging by turning it into a game. Hence, we have Nature Walk Bingo. If there’s something most little kids really enjoy, it’s a.) your undivided attention, and b.) being outside. Combine those by playing Earth Day bingo! (Click here to print EarthDayBingo—on recyclable paper, of course!) Note that the “nature” squares are super basic (i.e., a tree, a flower, etc.), which means you’re likely to encounter these things anywhere.
How to Play
The bingo cards are all exactly the same, which implies everybody would win at the same time. There’s a way to make this competitive. The way we played last year was that no one could “claim” the same tree, dog, squirrel, etc. We all had to individually see a separate dog, squirrel—you get the idea. If your daughter spots someone walking her dog first, she gets to circle the dogs on her card, but the rest of the family can’t. Other family members have to “claim” their own dog. The first family member to spot all of these plants and animals wins!
Grab a crayon, print the Earth Day bingo cards, and head outside for a weekend of fun!
Share with us! What do you do to celebrate Earth Day?
