Ideas to celebrate Earth Day as a Family

photo credit: MissFancyPants

I’m not into big celebrations. Especially not into big Earth Day Celebrations that include lots of talk and after-party garbage. I’ve been there and it’s not fun to be given a flyer with a message telling you to save paper and after the event finding them flying all over the place.

That said, there are trully eco friendly activities we can do as a family to celebrate Earth Day, and here I share some options:

Kids love being a part of efforts that they know will help to protect the earth. Not only do they like knowing that they have a respected role to play but they like the fact that their parents and other adults acknowledge their abilities and maturity enough to discuss important issues with them like the environment.

Earth Day is an opportunity to seriously think about the messages and actions that are being taken both locally and globally. “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” are messages that can take on greater meaning through purposeful activities that you choose to do with your kids on Earth Day.

A good start could be to gather as a family to discuss the following:

What can we recycle in our household and how can we recycle these items?

How many disposable items, from diapers to plastic bags do we use as a family, and how many items can we choose to do without?

Where can we reuse items we no longer want?

Here are some uses for existing items that might be in your household:
• Reuse a plastic or paper bag for different uses so you don’t have to buy new
• Reuse empty food containers as storage for leftovers.
• Habitat for Humanity accepts building material donations in some chapters – contact your local chapter for this non-profit group before disposing of old building material.
• Your local Goodwill can make good use of your gently worn clothing and gently used furniture or other household items. Contact them to find out delivery options.

Hiking is a great family activity that can turn into a enjoyable Earth Day Activity if the purpose of the hike is to pick up garbage in your local park or trail. It’s a satisfying project that will make kids feel they are doing their part to take care of an area that gives them and their friends in the community much enjoyment – especially animals!

One of the best ways to teach our children about the impact of trash on our environment is to show them the “trash trail.” Where does the trash go after we put it out for the garbage truck? On Earth Day why not take your kids on a little journey along the “trash trail.”

The garbage workers or sanitation engineers take residential garbage usually to a transfer station that collects the community’s waste/rubbish before shipping it off to a regional solid waste facility. In many cases the garbage gets trucked to a landfill or incinerator plant. Sometimes that garbage is then burned to produce electricity – depending on where you live. Here in Quito the garbage goes all mixed up into landfils, a pretty big stress to nearby people and the environment. That’s why I wouldn’t dare to take my child thru the end of the trash trial, but in some cities this might not be a big health concern.

Finally, why not consider making your own fridge and saving on electricity? My old home made pot in pot is out of business right now, but it worked for us for more than a year. Learn more about it here: Pot-in-pot, our low cost, home made, non electrical fridge.

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