Nothing says spring quite like the annual celebration of Earth Day! But what exactly does Earth Day celebrate and why? The first official Earth Day celebration took place on April 22, 1970. Gaylord Nelson, an environmental activist and former Wisconsin senator, wanted to draw attention to ecological issues and environmental awareness. In the first year alone, celebrations took place at more than 2,000 colleges and universities all across the United States.

Want to observe Earth Day with your family but don’t know where to start? Here are some easy activities that will give you the opportunity to talk about the importance of protecting our planet on Earth Day and every day. Let’s clean up, clean out and regrow!

Neighborhood Clean Up

When you go out for a neighborhood walk with your fam, turn it into a fun little game. Give your kids gloves and a trash bag and tell them to collect any trash scraps they see along the way!

Closet Clean Out

Want to feel productive in your Earth Day celebrations? This is a great opportunity for you and your kids to go through your closets and storage and set things aside that you no longer need or want. Instead of throwing things away, see what can be reused or recycled. Brainstorm with your kids about giving your clothing and items a second life!

Vegetable Scraps

Think twice before throwing out your veggie scraps! Lots of vegetable odds and ends can be repotted or saved for regrowth. One of the easiest vegetable scraps to regrow is celery. Cut the bottom of a celery stalk off and place it in a small bowl with a little bit of warm water. After a week or so of sitting in a warm, sunny place (a windowsill would be perfect), you should start to see some new life. One man’s trash is another man’s vegetable garden!

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