Why Earth Day Matters for Kids

Show them

• Help clean up litter.
• Take recyclable materials to a recycling center (for more info on recycle do’s and don’ts, visit Waste Management’s website).
• Compost at home.
• Turn out lights when not in use.
• Don’t waste water.
• Reduce fuel emissions by walking whenever possible.
• Program the thermostat to be more energy-efficient.
• Reuse and repurpose rather than using disposable items.

Teach them

• Movies about the environment: Classic movies for younger kids are Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and FernGully: The Last Rainforest. The Disney film Earth, released on Earth Day 2009, celebrates the natural wonder and beauty of the planet.
• Documentaries: Luckily, Netflix has plenty of documentaries the kids will actually love watching with you, including BBC’s Life, Hidden Kingdoms, Planet Earth II and Chasing Ice.
• Magazines: National Geographic frequently covers ecology topics. Consider a subscription to National Geographic Kids for younger kids.
• Read a book: From younger kids learning the importance of recycling (Why Should I Recycle? By Jen Green, The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle by Alison Inches) to tweens learning about the environment through the eyes of a robot (The Wild Robot by Peter Brown), there are plenty of books that’ll help get the message across.
• YouTube: YouTube has plenty of videos that’ll teach your kids about Earth Day, how to care for the environment, pollution and more.
• Speakers at the local zoo, wildlife preserve and botanical garden: Online lists of U.S. zoos and U.S. botanical gardens will help you locate potential environmental family field trips.
• Share eco-facts: Did you know you waste up to 5 gallons of water each time you leave the water running while brushing your teeth? That’s a lot of waste! Find more eco-facts here.
• Show them the kids already changing the world: Plenty of kids and teens are already making a difference in their communities, proving there is hope for the future — and reading about them might inspire other kids to do the same. Mother Nature Network has a fantastic list you can start with.

Join them

• Have an Earth Day block party: Invite all the kids in the neighborhood to plant gardens or trees and pick up trash.
• Volunteer: Participate in fundraisers for ecology and animal projects.
• Donate time: Head to the local recycling center and do your part.
• Go green challenge: Walk, bike, carpool or take the bus for a week, teaching your kids how to reduce greenhouse gases.
• Adopt a road: Just google “adopt a road [your state name]” for info on adopting a road for trash pickup.

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