Ideas to Enhance Your Family's Activities During Earth Day

What better time to think about the environment than during Earth Day, April 22? Family activities that help promote Earth Day are wonderful ways to teach children to respect our planet. It's never too late to get children involved in taking an active role in environmental issues and learning a sense of responsibility an respect for the environment. The following activities will help enhance your family's involvement in Earth Day.

* Practice the 3 R's

1. Reduce the amount of trash you produce
2. Reuse containers and produces
3. Recycle all you can.

* Start a low water garden

Low water gardens, also known as Xeriscapes, are a creative landscaping approach that save water and energy. These gardens incorporate low-water plants, trees, and grasses.

* Organize a neighborhood or community cleanup.

Gather all your friends, neighbors and family together on a weekend or afternoon for a neighborhood or community cleanup. This may include a park, a riverbank or along the roadside.

* Visit a national or state park, forest, wildlife refuge or conservation land.

Take a group of friends out into nature. Find out from the tour guide what you personally can do.

* Make a list of endangered species.

Have each person in your family write out a list of endangered species. Next, go to your local library or do a search online to find out why they are endangered and how you might be able to help. Have your kids write out suggestions they can share with schoolmates.

* Have a scavenger hunt.

Have your family go through the basement, garage, storage bins and closets. Prepare three large cardboard boxes with different labels on them. One will read "reusable," the other "recyclable," and the third "non-recyclable." Place the items in the correct box.

Keep your eyes and ears open to community sponsored events your family can attend together.

Earth Day Ideas from the Earth Day Network