Celebrate Earth Day with These Fun Activities for Kids and Adults

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April is filled with important holidays and observances (even if March snagged Easter this year), but perhaps none carries quite the weight of Earth Day. Founded in 1970 as a way of raising awareness around environmental issues, it's now observed every April 22 by one billion people across the globe. It's all about learning to respect and value our fragile, irreplaceable world and live more sustainably, which is where the following Earth Day activities come into play. From shopping farmers' markets to cooking eco-friendly meals, these are suggestions that will not only help out our beautiful planet but are also so much fun kids will want to get in on the action, too.

Because Earth Day is also about finding those teachable moments that educate the next generation about the importance of conserving our planet's precious resources. With that in mind, we've included plenty of clean and green hobbies that will get the whole family out in the fresh springtime air and sunshine, such as bike riding, birdwatching, and boating. And because April 22 falls on a Monday this year, we've also added some evening activities, like stargazing and screening movies in the backyard, that you can do with the kids or your friends after work. Although, you might want to start enjoying these activities right now. After all, it's never too soon to start celebrating Mother Earth, is it?

1. Plant a tree.
   

   
   Trees help our planet in so many ways. According to One Tree Planted, they improve air quality, reduce global temperatures, provide habitat for biodiversity and even help prevent flooding. Do the planet a solid this Earth Day by planting a tree on your property or volunteering locally to plant trees on public land.

2. Build a bird feeder.
   Bring fine-feathered friends into your yard by DIY-ing a bird feeder. You and the littles can go easy-peasy and make pine cone feeders filled with peanut butter and rolled in bird seed, or opt for a project requiring a little more skill. Either way, it's a win for your family and the local avian population: they get a tasty smorgasbord, and you get a yard filled with beautiful birds.

3. Whip up a vegan meal.
   The Center for Biological Diversity calls meat production one of the most environmentally damaging systems in the world, a major contributor to habitat loss, resource depletion, pollution, and climate change. This Earth Day, round everyone up, head into the kitchen and prepare a delicious vegan recipe together. It's healthier for your fam, the planet, and (believe it or not) your pocketbook.

4. Clean up litter.
   

   
   While any day is the right day to pick up trash in your community, on and around April 22 EarthDay.org and a wealth of other organizations host community clean-ups, giving neighbors a chance to work side-by-side to rid their environment of litter. Find an event on the EarthDay.org site, or get the tools you need to host your own. After, be sure to reward yourselves with pizza or a potluck for your efforts!

5. Shop a farmers' market.
   

   
   Not only are farmers' markets filled with the freshest, tastiest produce, but by buying local you reduce your carbon footprint from food transport. Plus, you're keeping money in your community, where you want it. Farmers' markets are fun (and free!) to wander, too, with many offering live entertainment, food trucks and vendors selling handcrafted goods.

6. Go on a scavenger hunt.
   Put together a tally of native plants and animals, then take a hike in a local state park and try to spot all the flora and fauna on your list. After all, Earth Day isn't just about taking care of Mother Earth, it's also about learning to appreciate it, too.

7. DIY seed bombs.
   

   
   Give pollinators a hand by making seed bombs made from native wildflower seeds and biodegradable materials like compost, clay and/or shredded paper. Plant them in your garden, or go guerrilla by dropping them in public spaces like parks, alongside trails and river banks, and in the dirt surrounding roads and parking lots. You can even make seed bombs that look like Planet Earth by following this cool tutorial.

8. Make art.
   Head outside with the kids and gather natural items from your yard or the local park, like flowers, twigs, pebbles, bark, leaves, feathers, pine cones, and shells. Then bring everyone back in and ask them to craft a collage, wreath, mandala, or any other creative goodie from the Earth's bounty they've collected. For maximum cuteness, you could even build a wee fairy house and tuck it into the backyard.

9. Start composting.
   

   
   Whether you buy a compost bin or make your own, composting is as good for your garden as it is for the planet. The practice, which keeps kitchen and yard waste out of landfills and even helps trap carbon, results in a super-rich soil amendment that helps plants thrive. Give setting up your compost pile more of a science experiment vibe than a chore and your kids will be psyched to pitch in and help!

10. Install a rain barrel.
    According to Earth.Org, droughts and water shortages caused by climate change, water mismanagement, and overconsumption are adversely affecting regions across our entire planet, intensifying wildfires and causing food scarcity. One way to help is by installing rain barrels, which collect the runoff from your gutters during storms. When the weather turns dry, rather than turning on your hose you can use the stored rainwater to water your garden, a victory for the environment and your bottom line.

11. Create a terrarium.
    

    
    Bring some of the great outdoors indoors by constructing a terrarium out of a glass container, soil, plants like moss, succulents, or ferns and decorative elements, which can include rocks, pine cones and crystals. Whether you DIY your terrarium or use a kit, building one of these charming fairy gardens is a perfect craft for a rainy Earth Day.

12. Ride a bike.
    

    
    One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint and help slow the effects of climate change is to use your car less. Carpooling and taking public transportation to and from work are great options, or you could always ditch the vehicle entirely and get where you need to go via pedal power. A nice Earth Day ride on your local rail train will remind you how much fun it is to hop aboard a bike—and what good exercise it is, too!

13. Hold a yard sale.
    For anyone interested in sustainability, "reduce, reuse, recycle" is a familiar refrain. For Earth Day this year, instead of tossing out all the unwanted items you've gathered up during spring cleaning, try to find a new home for them with a yard sale. You'll be saving them from the landfill and earning a little bit of cash at the same time, which you can pass on to your favorite conservationist non-profit, like the World Wildlife Fund or Greenpeace.

14. Read a book.
    If April showers have rained out your Earth Day plans, consider sitting down with a good book instead. For Mom and Dad, EarthDay.org has a list of suggested non-fiction tomes about climate change, or you might want to crack a classic like Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, or The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. It's hard to beat Dr. Seuss's beloved book, The Lorax, for younger readers.

15. Show a movie in your backyard.
    

    
    Rent, borrow, or buy a projector, set up a DIY screen and embrace the outdoors on Earth Day evening with this unique activity that's better than a drive-in movie since it happens right in your own backyard. There are so many on-theme flicks you can show, from inspiring dramas like Erin Brockovich to the recent doc David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet and kid-friendly winners, including Wall-E and Happy Feet. Just don't forget the popcorn!

16. Plant a garden.
    

    
    Studies show that digging in the dirt is simply good for body and soul, and whether you're putting in a pollinator garden to help out bees and butterflies, or a veggie bed (which cuts down on everything from plastics to food waste and carbon emissions), it's also one of the most eco-friendly hobbies around. What could be a better activity on Earth Day than that?

17. Go birdwatching.
    

    
    This April 22, think about grabbing a pair of binoculars and doing a little birding. The peaceful pastime, which exploded in popularity during the COVID pandemic, does a bang-up job of connecting people with the natural world. If you really get into it, you might even find yourself contributing data about your sightings to research projects, aiding conservation efforts down the road.

18. See the stars.
    

    
    If you're up for a drive on Earth Day, hit the road to a dark sky park. They're the locations where light pollution caused by artificial lights is kept to a minimum, and the stars shine brightest. DarkSky International has certified more than 60 parks, communities, sanctuaries and reserves in the United States as official International Dark Sky Places, so you're sure to find one near you. Then spread a blanket, open up a stargazer app and take in the showstopping celestial wonders of the cosmos.

19. Set up a clothesline.
    Sure they're convenient, but clothing dryers also typically consume more energy than any other household appliance, after the refrigerator and washer. Studies also show that a single dryer could discharge up to 120 million polluting microfibers every year. Go throwback and hang a clothesline in your backyard on April 22, and you might reduce your home's carbon footprint by as much as 2,400 pounds annually, while also saving more than $100 a year. Plus, those pretty fabrics flapping in the breeze sure look lovely, don't they?

20. Hit the water.
    Some 71 percent of the world is water, and there's no better time to celebrate our planet's life-sustaining liquid than this Earth Day. Rent a canoe or kayak, go for a swim if it's warm enough, or just relax on the shore at your local lake, river or seaside. While you're at it, you can fish any trash you see out of the water, wear reef-safe sunscreen and show off your nifty 4ocean bracelet—each purchase of a bracelet from the organization supports the removal of five pounds of trash from oceans, rivers and coastlines.
    

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