Our 5 Favourite Earth Day Activities for Kids

Earth Day gives us all an opportunity to celebrate the planet, and recommit ourselves to protecting it. And for those of us with little ones, it’s also a good time to teach them about the importance of sustainability! 

That’s why we’ve put together a list of our favourite Earth Day activities for kids, to get them excited about our natural world, and nurture their eco-consciousness from an early age.

Attend a neighbourhood clean-up

One great way to foster your child’s love of nature is to take part in a clean-up event in your community. Head down to your nearest park or hiking trail, grab a few supplies (kids love litter pickers), and get to work! You’ll be surprised how much children enjoy spending time outdoors, moving around, and getting a little bit dirty. Not only that, but the sense of satisfaction they’ll feel is priceless. Even better, it can help them develop an environmentally conscious mindset from a young age.

Plant a butterfly garden

There’s nothing like a garden filled with beautiful pollinators to get your family into the springtime spirit. Monarch butterflies, bumblebees and hummingbirds are all attracted to specific flowers, so head to your local plant nursery and pick up some seeds. Once the plants start growing and the flowers begin to bloom, your little ones will feel proud knowing they helped make it happen. And when the critters arrive, they’ll experience the beauty of nature firsthand.

Go on a nature scavenger hunt

Another great Earth Day activity for kids is a scavenger hunt! Take your little ones to the nearest park, lake, nature reserve or beach, and give them each a list of items to find. Things like pine cones, seashells, feathers, leaves or twigs are easy enough to spot. The thrill of the hunt will have them laughing, smiling and playing in the sunshine — a memory they won’t soon forget.

Get them excited about upcycling

Upcycling is the act of taking used or discarded materials and turning them into something new and useful. It’s also one of the most effective ways to reduce waste — a valuable lesson for kids. Spark their creativity with family-friendly crafts like lanterns made from tin cans, bird feeders from scrap wood, or a scarecrow from old wire hangers. It’s a fun way to teach the importance of reusing what we can and reducing what ends up in landfill.

Create a green time capsule

One of our favourite Earth Day activities for kids is making a green time capsule! Ask your little ones to write a letter to their future selves, describing the kind of world they’d like to live in as they grow up. Place the letters in an envelope, seal them, and decide when they’ll be opened — in 5, 10, or even 20 years. It’s a meaningful way to get kids thinking about their eco-friendly intentions and setting sustainable goals for the future.