Happy Earth Day! Although we should celebrate Earth Day every day, on April 22nd we should be intentional in recognizing and teaching our younger generation how to be change agents for a better environment. My book TuTu Goes Green does a great job in showing our children small acts they can do daily to make big impacts making it a great earth day book for kids. It explains environmental topics in easy language that little ones understand. In addition to sharing sustainable and eco-friendly books for kids with your young ones, here are some other ways to celebrate Earth Day. Go Green!

1. Participate in or organize a neighborhood Earth Day Activity or event.

Many people want to contribute to saving planet Earth but don’t know-how.  It starts with you! Simply, grab a group of friends and your children and do a park clean-up, or organize a recycling drive, or book donation drop.  Every little act makes an impact.  That is the message we want to send to our younger generation.  You can also check Earthday.org to see what Earth Day events are planned across the country! 

2. Make a concerted effort to use only reusable containers.

 Make a commitment to only use travel mugs, reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, and reusable food storage containers.  Plastics are so very harmful to the environment. It takes about 700 years for a plastic water bottle to decompose. Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year, averaging about 13 bottles per month for every person in the U.S.! That means by using a reusable water bottle, you could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually.  In the U.S., 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year, that’s about 307 bags per person.  Reusable shopping bags also help to eliminate plastic waste. 

3. Make a meal from leftovers and create a meal plan.

Food waste is a major problem in the U.S.  80 billion pounds of food is thrown away each year in the U.S., which is equivalent to 1,000 Empire State Buildings. Some of the best meals can come from leftovers. 

Please view my blog post on Collard Green Egg Rolls.  You can substitute the collard greens for other veggies such as cauliflower, carrots, brussel sprouts, spinach, or cabbage to name a few. Leftover veggies also make great quesadillas or veggie burgers.  Get creative with it.  You will be surprised how tasty leftover creations can be and saves time when cooking.  

Creating a meal plan is also a great way to lessen food waste.  Oftentimes we purchase more food than we actually need. With a meal plan, we can teach our kids to be more mindful of what they eat and not to take more than they will consume. 

4. Do an arts and crafts activity with your recycled trash.

From cereal boxes, plastic water bottles, to paper plates, almost anything may be used to make a craft.  Kids enjoy working with their hands and creating.  You can make a musical instrument, or a collage of recycled materials found in your house, the sky's the limit.  This another fun hands-on activity to teach children how they can incorporate the 3 Rs, recycle, reuse and reduce, into their lives. Here are some recycled arts and crafts projects for you to enjoy. 

Sticks & Stones Tic Tac Toe  

Cereal Guitar Box

Reusable Tote Bag Apron

5. Start an Herb Garden.

This is a super fun and easy way to teach children about farm to table. They will see what they grow directly and how it ends up on their plate. Herbs are quite easy because you can start them in small containers or pots on your kitchen counters. It’s a great way for children to learn about gardening as well. Herb gardens are very easy to maintain and children usually love the scents from the herbs like mint, thyme, and basil.

I hope you enjoy your Earth Day. Remember Earth Day is every day and these ideas may be implemented year-round! Please feel free to share your projects and crafts with us on our contact page or tag us on most social media @tutusgreenworld. Go Green!