Celebrate Earth Day With These Fun Kid-Friendly Activities and Events

With our on-the-go schedules, it’s easy to miss out on the beautiful nature around us: cherry blossoms on our way to work, green grass at the playground, or 100-year old trees rooted into the ground. However, with Earth Day around the corner, it’s time to slow down and appreciate all that our planet has to offer. 

We’ve become increasingly aware of how important it is to take care of our environment, but once a year on April 22, we also get to celebrate Earth. Whether that means pausing to notice the flower buds on your morning walk or organizing a fun craft for your kiddos, take the time to say “thank you” to our planet. Luckily, we’ve rounded up the best kid-friendly Earth Day activities and events so that your family can easily take part in the festivities. Read on to find out how you can celebrate! 

Earth Day Activities for Kids

Earth Day Storytime 

There are so many kids’ books that celebrate the Earth and encourage readers to treat our planet with love and respect. Choose a few and get cozy on the couch for storytime. Especially if April 22 ends up being rainy or chilly (you never know with the weather!), this is the perfect at-home activity. Some of our favorite books are The Lorax by Dr. Suess, We are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and Julianna Swaney, and When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan and Lorraine Rocha, and City Green by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan. 

Blue and Green Tie-Dye 

What better way to celebrate the Earth than to get crafty and creative outside? Tie-Dye is a fan favorite for kids, especially as the weather warms up. Pick up a tie-dye kit and a few white t-shirts from your local craft store, and encourage your little ones to use the blue and green colors to create the Earth. You can even tie-dye blue and green hats, socks, headbands, and other smaller items to keep the fun going for a few hours. But a quick heads-up: this will cause a mess, so make sure your kids are dressed in older clothes. 

Flower Planting & Pot Painting

When we think of spring nature, flowers are the first thing that comes to mind! Let your kids become pro gardeners this Earth Day by heading over to your local floral shop. You can either pick up seeds or ready-to-bloom flowers– whichever you prefer. Plant the seeds or flowers into pots, layer the soil, and sprinkle them with water. If you want to extend the activity, you can even paint the pots. In that case, we recommend using terra-cotta pots and painting those first, before you plant. 

Layers-of-the-Earth Pudding Cups 

What if you could learn about the Earth and enjoy a delish sweet treat? Well, with these pudding cups you can! Each layer represents one part of the Earth, so we suggest having a printout of the Earth’s core handy. That way, you can teach your kiddos without them skipping to the sugar. This is how the pudding cup is made: 6 marshmallows (inner core), 1 tbsp yellow vanilla pudding (inner core), 1 tbsp orange vanilla pudding (outer core), 1 tbsp red vanilla pudding (inner mantle), 1 tbsp chocolate pudding (outer mantle), 1 tbsp crushed oreos (crust), 1 tbsp green coconut (grass), and a plastic dinosaur is optional on top.  

Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great way to make learning fun! One idea is to do a “clean up” scavenger hunt, where your kids have to find things to clean up your local area. For example, you can go to a park and have a list that includes something plastic, recyclable, lost etc. Even if you end up throwing a few littered soda cans away, you still made a difference! Another idea is to do a “nature” scavenger hunt, where you take photos of a bunch of different natural sights: leaves, caterpillars, cherry blossoms, ducklings, water, etc. All you have to do is make a list and choose a spot. 

Earth Day Events Around NYC for Kids 
 

The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope 

April 22
Bring your family to the New York Botanical Garden to admire these beautiful orchids. Your kids will surely love the multi-colored orchids: orange, yellow, green, white, purple, and more. The show originally debuted in 2020, and it’s been incredibly popular since. Get in touch with Earth’s captivating nature this spring with the show, and you can even check out other exhibits at NYBG afterwards. 10am-6pm, $30; $28 students (with valid ID)/seniors (65+); $15 children (2-12 years); free for children younger than 2 and patrons/members.