Celebrating Earth Day is a great way for kids to think about the environment and conservation – and a fab excuse for a green style party! If you want the chance to promote peace, love, and all things green and eco, then Earth Day is one event you should definitely be adding to your calendar.
Earth Day is the special day where children and adults around the world celebrate the wonder of our Earth.
Why Celebrate?
If you suggest celebrating Earth Day to your kids, they are sure to want to know what it’s all about and the reasons behind it.
Depending on where in the world you live, Earth Day will fall either in the Spring or the Autumn. But the message of peace and love and conservation of our Earth is the same no matter where you are.
In the Northern Hemisphere – in other words the half of the world that is north of the equator – it is celebrated during the Spring, whilst in Southern Hemisphere, it is observed in the Autumn.
However, the United Nations chooses to celebrate Earth Day in the Spring. This is down to the work of the peace activist John McConnell who founded the original Earth Day.
The second Earth Day was the brain child of the American Politician Gaylord Nelson. He held it on April 22 as a special environmental teaching day, and many countries still follow suit and celebrate on the same date.
How to Celebrate
Whenever you choose to celebrate Earth Day – and, depending on your location, whether it falls in the Spring or Autumn, you can make it a special and fun time, and one where you truly appreciate all that the Earth has to offer us.
Think of all the things you could do that would utilise the Earth’s natural resources and plan your celebrations around them – this could be as simple as having an organic picnic at the beach, collecting shells and examining rock pools, or planting trees and plants or sowing seeds to ‘give something back’.
Celebrating at School
You could have a reusing or recycling session, and help protect the Earth by getting your school involved in a special event – perhaps an art display using natural finds like fallen leaves and twigs, pressed flowers, pebbles and shells, or ‘junk sculptures’ – models made of rubbish that would have otherwise been thrown away.
With enough notice of Earth Day, perhaps your school would put on a special assembly explaining the importance of looking after the Earth and its precious resources, with readings and displays and short sketches promoting and demonstrating the importance of reducing waste, reusing as many items as possible, and recycling?
Celebrating at Home
Having an Earth Day party at home could take on the whole peace and love and green vibe – maybe a 60s or 70s flower power party or a summer of love theme.
Use recycled, hand made paper or materials for your invitations, party wares and go home made, locally sourced and organic with your food! Put up Earth Day banners and signs, and decorate your own balloons with symbols of peace and Earth Day slogans.
Encourage all your friends and family to value and appreciate the Earth by joining in your Earth Day celebrations!
