April 22 is one of my favorite days of the year.

It’s Earth Day!

While this gives us a wonderful excuse to get out and enjoy nature, I think it’s equally an opportunity to give back to our planet.

Now we may all be stuck at home right now, but there’s still plenty we can do!

In order to celebrate 50 years of Earth Day, I’ve compiled a list of 50 fun Earth-Friendly activities for all ages that you can do both at home and in the community. Have fun!

1. Watch some live animal webcams!
   • https://explore.org/livecams has a collection of awesome webcams and information about what you’re seeing! My favorite is the Africam.
2. Take a virtual tour of a Natural History Museum
   • There are many museums that have these programs set up, but I’m partial to the Smithsonian. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour
3. Take a virtual tour of a zoo or aquarium
   • A lot of institutions have started showcasing live webcams and posting videos to social media. Here are a couple of my favorites: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
   • https://www.chesterzoo.org/virtual-zoo/
4. Create your own Green City with this game:
   • https://www.primarygames.com/holidays/earth_day/games/planitgreen/
5. Attend New York’s 2020 Earth Fest – At Home!
   • With interactive workshops and videos, you can learn all about the natural world AND perform fun experiments. https://www.amnh.org/calendar/earthfest-2020
6. Learn more about Earth Day and listen to Storybook Readings from the Museum of the City of New York
   • https://www.mcny.org/education/earthday
7. Learn all about the Ocean with the Smithsonian’s Secrets of the Sea.
   • http://smithsonianeducation.org/interactives/secretsofthesea/index.html
8. Plant a Garden (of any size!) – Did you know that you can grow a lot of your own fruits and vegetables at home by just replanting the seeds and stalks you brought from the store, instead of throwing them away?

   

9. Take a walk (safely, please) and learn about your local flora and fauna.
   • Take pictures, bring them home, and learn all you can!
10. Become a Wilderness Explorer at Home!
    • If you’re a Disney fan, like me, you probably know what a Wilderness Explorer is. Well, luckily, we don’t need to go to Disney to become one! There’s a new mini-series on the My Disney Experience app that can teach you everything as if you were in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
11. Watch an Earthy Movie
    • No matter what streaming platform you enjoy, there are countless documentaries out there on all sorts of nature-related topics. Pick your favorite, grab some popcorn, and enjoy!
12. Do some sustainable online shopping.
    • If you’re anything like me and my friends, online shopping is one of the luxuries that is keeping us going right now. Why not make it sustainable? I’ve had so much fun looking for new earth-friendly products to try!
13. Stargaze!
    • Earth Day this year happens to correspond with the peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower. You don’t even need a telescope. Just find a dark spot where you can have a clear view of the sky tonight, and make those wishes!
14. Build a Birdhouse
    • There are loads of kits for birdhouses to order online. Building one can be a super fun project, and it helps the local wildlife! Here’s one kit I found on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Toysmith-Build-A-Bird-Bungalow/dp/B07LD7X29W/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Bird+house+kit&qid=1587593802&sr=8-2
15. Watch a class on Conservation online!
    • Youtube is great for online learning. There’s videos available for all learning levels. Here’s just one of many of these videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUu6xzciVxo
16. Do a science experiment with the young ones in your life
    • Again, there are loads of cool videos on Youtube for stuff like this. Here’s one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MHn9Q5NtdY
17. Do some science with your fellow adults
    • For something a little bit more adult-oriented, try something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sinQ06YzbJI
18. Bartending/Cocktail making is just amateur chemistry, right? Have Fun.
    
    
19. Create and Play a Recycling Game
    • I’ve found loads of prompts for making your own Recycling games for the home and office – out of recycled materials! Here’s some that sound pretty neat: https://study.com/academy/popular/recycling-activities-games-for-kids.html
20. Make and go on a scavenger hunt!
    • Compile a list of things everyone can find that pertain to Nature. Rocks, recyclable materials, plants, bugs, etc. Make different levels for different ages. Explore! Have fun!
21. Plant a Flower or a Tree!
22. Host your own “Earth Hour.”
    • If you don’t know what Earth Hour is, it’s a designated hour where we hope as many people as possible will turn off all the lights in their house, put the electronics away, and step outside and enjoy the stars in the sky. Learn more here: https://www.earthhour.org/
23. Break out the Crayons and COLOR!
    • Just search Google for Earth Day coloring pages and you won’t be disappointed.
    • To add a more environmentally friendly twist, there are coloring book apps for all ages to color interactively!
24. Join one of many live, interactive Teach-Ins
    • https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2020/
25. Reduce your “Foodprint” by finding delicious plant-based recipes to try.
    • I’m by no means a vegetarian, but I’m always looking for delicious alternatives! This link gives great insight about your foodprint and how you can alter it! https://www.earthday.org/campaign/foodprints-for-future/
26. Have your kids make crafts out of recycled materials
    • https://iheartcraftythings.com/25-earth-day-crafts-for-kids.html
27. For adults, try some sustainable crafting!
    • I’ve found so many cool projects I want to work on. Here’s a list of some ideas: https://www.weareteachers.com/earth-day-crafts-classroom-activities/
28. Read nature books, together or alone
    • I’m a natural bookworm, so my bookshelf is ever flowing – especially my nature shelf. There’s literally countless books out there. Libraries are still open, kindles are cool. Grab a tasty beverage and enjoy!
29. If reading isn’t your thing, but you like stories – try listening to one!
    • Youtube is, again, a great place to find videos. Here’s an example of a nature related storybook you can listen to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GqM-U5dCsQ
30. Tune in to Earth Day Live
    • Earth Day Live is a 3 day stream featuring a number of famous names to discuss science-related issues of today; including the Climate Change crisis. https://www.earthdaylive2020.org/
31. See what NASA is up to!
    • NASA never ceases to amaze me with all the cool stuff they have going on. Their website is full of valuable sources and information about the earth. Check out their Earth Day page here: https://www.nasa.gov/content/earth-day-2020
32. Find your virtual National Park
    • The National Park service has begun posting virtual tours and live streams of many of America’s National Parks. Which one will you tour first? https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/take-virtual-visit-national-park
33. Speaking of touring National Parks…Do you or your family members live Sesame Street?
    • Join Elmo, Murray, and Park rangers while you explore and learn about Grand Canyon National Park here: https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/programs/npf-kids/elmo-and-murray-bring-our-parks-pre-schoolers
34. Become a Junior Ranger!
    • If you read my bio, you’ll know that I grew up becoming a National Park Junior Ranger. Those badges were my pride and joy when I was growing up. Imagine my excitement when I found out that you don’t have to physically be in a park to become one anymore? https://www.nps.gov/kids/junior-rangers.htm
      
35. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a National Park
    • Thanks to the National Park Foundation, recordings of the natural sounds of these parks are available for us to listen to. Close your eyes and imagine what it’s like to be there. https://findyourpark.com/about/news/parktracks?_ga=2.99472478.1730430479.1587601571-1420975351.1587601571
36. Learn about baby animals!
    • Back to Youtube to provide us with an adorable little video to start a chain of educational baby animal videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=YTd4omxGX4s&feature=emb_logo
37. Take a class with real Park Rangers
    • Online, of course. The National Park Service has designated a portal just for distance education. Here’s to Homeschooling! https://www.nps.gov/teachers/teacher-resources.htm?#fq%5B%5D=Type_Group%3A%22Distance+Learning%22
38. Let NASA teach you all about the Earth
    • On this page, you’ll find games, crafts, and activities that NASA came up with all in the name of Education. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/earth/
39. Help NASA explore the Crysophere – Earth’s Coldest areas
    • This video list is SO COOL. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2aBZuCeDwlQqXdZ_hXEX0OSI1vX_p9Cj
40. Download NASA’s Visualization Explorer App
    • An app to teach you everything you want to know about the Earth, Sun, Moon, and Stars. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/nasaviz/index.html
41. Campout in your backyard!
    • A classic tradition to definitely bring back. Unpack that camping gear and pitch a tent under the stars. Don’t forget your bug spray.
42. Enjoy a Concert to benefit the World Wildlife Foundation and UNICEF
    • WWF International has put together a live Virtual concert full of Grammy-award winning artists from around the world playing for a healthier planet. Feel free to enjoy it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yqsy6azYPz8
43. Watch the Earth Day Initiative Presentations
    • Today there were a list of informative and thought provoking presentations by household names. Watch some of them here: http://www.earthdayinitiative.org/virtual-kick-off
44. Share your artwork!
    • The EPA is encouraging families to get creative and post their Earth Day artwork in their windows, so families on their walks have something nice and inspiring to see on their way. https://www.epa.gov/earthday/celebrate-earth-day-2020-sharing-window-artwork
45. Help Save the Bees!
    • One great idea that I’ve found to help your local bee population is to build a bee house. Not too different from a bird house, it’s meant to attract bees to a safe place to hive. Here’s a source for how to build one: https://www.almanac.com/content/bee-houses-solitary-bees
46. Make a game out of conserving resources
    • It may sound silly, but if you’re having trouble finding ways to conserve your utilities at home, maybe you need to get creative. For instance, see who can take the shortest, coolest shower? Who can go without electronics in a day the longest? Winner gets a prize!
47. Adopt some wildlife!
    • The World Wildlife Foundation does so much good work towards conserving our world. You can help them too, by adopting your favorite animal. It’s a fun and easy way to feel like you’re making a difference – and it makes a great gift! https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx?sc=AWY1200WCGA1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1v_0BRAkEiwALFkj5j0b-jx8jy0wpzEatgGaDJGi655-NjgYdRtCquPnL7jIlEARgcOXnBoCetUQAvD_BwE
48. Literally tune into Nature
    • Sometimes we all just need to close our eyes and breathe. I particularly love doing this in nature. I find a place to sit, close my eyes, and focus only on the sounds around me. Personally, I feel very relaxed and grounded afterwards. Sometimes it even helps to add some soft, calming music in the background to help your mind relax.
49. Make the Pledge to work towards a Better Earth for generations to come
    • A pledge does not mean you have to change everything about your life – but it is to do what you can. We all need this earth. Why not keep it beautiful for everyone involved? https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=885
50. Take the Earth Day 2020 challenge
    • This years challenge focuses on collecting citizen science data in order to help research and answer the big questions of how we can help the world and our communities. Learn more here: https://earthchallenge2020.earthday.org/

Whether you’re able to try these activities today, or plan them in your days ahead, I truly hope you enjoy them, learn from them, and are inspired to learn even more.

Happy Earth Day!

The Earth has Music to those who Listen 

~ George Santayana