5 Ways to Get Kids Excited About Earth Day 2024

April brings so much more to everyday life than its signature showers to fuel May’s flowers. This month includes one of the most important global holidays that we have: Earth Day! Earth Day is the perfect time to celebrate the planet and the beauty found in its nature. To help you enjoy that beauty, we’re excited to share five great Earth Day activities to get your kids active and involved in the holiday. Who knows? While you learn how to celebrate the environmental holiday, you might even establish family traditions and pick up new eco-friendly hobbies along the way. Read on! 

When is Earth Day?

If you're going to celebrate Earth Day, you should know why it's important and when it's recognized. Earth Day is held annually on April 22nd to promote and support environmental protection efforts. It was first held in April of 1970, with the first celebration organized by a U.S. senator from Wisconsin. Today, it's celebrated all over the world with a variety of commemorations, but the focus on environmental awareness has always remained.

5 Earth Day Activities for Kids

Here are five of our favorite Earth Day activities for kids: 

1. Start a kid-friendly garden.

As a season of growth and renewal, spring is the time to start planting summer flowers and produce. To make that planting part of your Earth Day celebration, get your kids involved in the process and teach them about all things gardening. For an extra special occasion, invest in a small pail and spade for your kids, as well as gardening gloves, so they’ll be able to help all year long. Have each child plant a seed or pick out a variety of their own, and over time, you can teach proper care of plants while also seeing whose options thrive the most.

2. Get outside and look for bugs.

Experience the outdoors and appreciate everything Mother Nature has to offer by making one of your Earth Day activities a fun bug search. Whether it’s going on a hike at a nearby trail or taking a simple walk to your local park, being outside can refresh your day, and keeping your eyes out for bugs allows your kids to connect with nature, even for just a little while. For an engaging and entertaining event, make bug search a scavenger hunt and throw in some animals to keep an eye out for, like: 

• Ants
• Squirrels
• Bees
• Birds
• Butterflies

3. Make a plant-based meal with cool textures.

A great Earth Day activity for you and your kids, making a plant-based meal is another way to honor the Earth by turning what it has to offer into sustenance and energy. From black-bean burgers to cashew cream mac and cheese, there are tons of vegan and vegetarian recipes out there that are family-friendly and delicious with tons of natural ingredients. Have fun with a variety of textures like blended cashews, pressed tofu, mashed avocado, or peeled carrots to add intriguing and yummy flavors.

Looking to make an even bigger impact this Earth Day? Check out these changes for an eco-friendly home. 

4. Learn about young climate change-makers.

With the internet and an increase in movements to protect the place we call home, we're in an incredible age of environmental activism, and there are many young role models who can inspire kids for their own activism. On Earth Day, consider educating your kids on the work and words of figures like Greta Thunberg, Leah Thomas, Vic Barret, and Isra Hirsi. Here’s earthday.org’s comprehensive list of young activists to help you get started.

If you’re looking for a more dynamic Earth Day activity, challenge your kids (and yourself) to give a short presentation on the climate activist of their choice and the aspects of environmental protection that matter most to them.

5. Watch a nature documentary about their favorite animal.

Several exciting nature documentaries, including Secrets of the Whales on Disney Plus, are coming out for Earth Day, but there are already tons of options for kid-friendly documentaries that are also perfect doubles for Earth Day activities. Check out the list of titles below and settle in on Earth Day to learn more about a fascinating species and the world they live in.

• March of the Penguins (2005)
• African Cats (2011)
• Planet Earth (2006)
• Hidden Kingdoms (2014)

Beyond Earth Day Activities for Kids: More Spring Activity Ideas

Celebrating Earth Day is a great way to get in the spring spirit with your entire family, but it’s not the only option you have. For more ways to enjoy this time of year, follow our “Spring Family Bucket List.” From outdoor activities to arts and crafts and games, you’ll have everything you need to have a fun and productive springtime with the people you love most.