5 simple ways to make everyday Earth Day with the kids
The other day, I was walking to the store, when I saw a sign in the window of a local restaurant.
“Coffee grounds for your garden available on Earth Day!”
Um, what do they do with it the other 364 days of the year?
They go through A LOT of coffee everyday, so…
Most coffee houses have bins of free grounds all year long. Starbuck’s does. Peet’s does.
I guess every day is Earth Day at a coffee house.
Every day IS Earth Day
Yes, Earth Day is a great reminder to celebrate the Earth, nature, and more natural living, but don’t wait for the next Earth Day to start.
Instead, next year, look back and notice how much you’ve done!
Every day can also be Trash Day
When I was a kid, our school inundated us with movies and information on litter and trash.
Picking up trash and putting our own trash in the trash can was drilled into us.
Kids today don’t seem to get this message…
When my kids were young, I gave my kids bags to clean up the neighborhood.
Their friends joined in, and it was soon a little party.
Of course, we treated them with a bowl of fruit and some healthy snacks afterward, and soon it was a weekly tradition.
Recycle
When you don’t recycle, it goes into the trash, and gets buried.
It stays there forever, basically.
You’re throwing this stuff away anyway, so tell your kids that recycling is worth money to them.
They’re kids, so even a few bucks is real money to them.
My son collected bottles and cans for years, and every few weeks we drove to the store to collect his $5-10 dollars.
It’s nothing to us, but in a month, we’re talking real Lego money!
Walking
Virtually everywhere you live you can walk somewhere.
A nature hike is an obvious choice, but introducing kids to walking, period, is critical.
Around here, we walk to the store, several times per week, even if it’s just to get two bags of groceries.
Kids want ice cream? Walk to the ice cream shop.
If it’s too far away, go to a park within walking distance of the ice cream, play for a while, walk to the treat, and walk back to the park.
Now that’s a real outing that also builds good walking habits for the rest of their lives.
Eat outside
That’s Roland in green!
In this day and age, we eat in front of the tv or on a short break from the computer.
We, kids and adults, are plugged in all day, all night, and even at mealtimes.
Why not take a break from all that?
Have a picnic, even if it’s in the local park. Start them young and build that habit when they don’t know any better.
Grow some food
roland and galina’s backyard garden
One of the best ways to get your kids to eat veggies is to grow veggies at home. Let them pick some veggies they like, and have them plant and tend them.
True, tomatoes are technically a fruit, but you never find it in a fruit salad, so…
It doesn’t have to be fancy, either.
Use pots, raised beds, an old bathtub, or dig a hole along a side yard you never use.
It’s the fact that you’ve touched soil, dug holes, and grown something green that counts.
Still, you might as well pick something they can enjoy, touch, and taste, like herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, or even edible flowers.
I love Johnny Jump Ups, personally!
If you’ve read our latest book, Eat Well, Move Well, Live Well, then you saw the chapter Galina called ‘Getting Dirty,’ where she highlighted the benefits of gardening, soil, ecotherapy, and eating something you’ve grown yourself.
Every day should be Earth Day
…but celebrating Earth Day is still a great way to remind us of the importance of treating our planet right.
For more info on Earth Day, and to see what you can do to help today or every day, go to EarthDay.org
Want to share your favorite Earth Day ideas?
Pop into the Group and join us!
Talk soon, and see you in the group!
Roland & Galina