Earth requires our attention more than just one day a year. On Earth Day and every day, spend a moment to appreciate the environment in which we live, love, and play. To kick off Earth Day and continue it throughout the year, try one or all of the following ideas.
Step 1: Implement small sustainable habits into your routine.
You can even brainstorm together about what environmental changes to make as a family! This can include things to do at home, like turning off the lights when leaving a room or turning off the faucet when not in use. When you go out together, pack refillable water bottles and snacks in a reusable bag or container. Depending upon your kiddo’s age, they can be in charge of remembering and even preparing their snacks! Set yourself up for success by leaving a tote bag by the door or bringing reusable containers for leftovers if you go to a restaurant. If public transportation is an option, make it an adventure with your kiddo! Kids love to be helpful, and together, you can turn these small changes into everyday habits.
Step 2: Include nature time when you plan family time.
Nature time can be anything from a walk in the park, volunteering at a cleanup, or visiting a state park. Big or small, Earth Day activities can be done in your local community or right in your backyard – start looking for Earth Day activities today! Be sure to give your kiddos autonomy when choosing activities – depending upon their age, they can decide, or you can provide two options. Ask your kiddo to choose your family’s hike, involve them in setting up a family garden, or have them turn cleanup into a fun game for all. All of these ideas help us be kind to our planet and allow for creation of new memories with little ones.
Step 3: Try to buy used items and pass along hand-me-downs.
Kids go through so many things, especially in their early years. Instead of buying new clothes or new toys, consider buying or finding the things you may need, second hand. The clothing industry creates about 10% of greenhouse gasses and is one of the greatest polluters of waste. The average American throws away about 70 pounds of clothes every single year and wears a piece of clothing seven times before being thrown away. But you don’t have to fall into this statistic, and we can make changes in our daily lives! There are local Buy Nothing groups, resale shops, yard sales, and other ways to share clothes, toys, and more. You may have friends with younger children and can commit to handing clothes down to their littles. Your kiddo may even feel a sense of pride in handing down something specific to a friend. Create a toy swap or even a rotation with your school or friend community. In community, we can make changes that will benefit our Earth.
To note: Remember that you are doing your best to build habits for you and your kiddo to protect and celebrate our Earth. Instead of aiming for perfection, focus on what you can do and what you can control.
We want all little ones (and humans) to enjoy our wonderful Earth and be kind in return for the many resources it provides. Appreciating nature and caring for our Earth starts at home with our everyday routines and habits. Here are 8 children’s books to help you and your family get inspired to take care of our Earth.
Nibi is Water by Joanne Robertson (age 0-2)
- About
“Nibi” means “water” in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe). Children can follow the flow of water from rain to snow, as well as other ways we use water such as swimming, drinking, or bathing. This book provides an early introduction to the concept of caring for the water, and therefore the Earth, around us.
- Why We Love It
The book is an oath to thank, respect, love, and protect Earth’s water.
- Things to Know
The book is in dual language: English and Anishinaabemowin, and includes a pronunciation guide at the back.
To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat (age 0-2)
- About
The book is in dual language: English and Anishinaabemowin, and includes a pronunciation guide at the back.
- Why We Love It
The book uses simple text to convey a powerful message of environmental activism. We also love the vibrant mixed-media illustrations throughout each page.
- Things to Know
The book includes back matter with additional information about climate change and what people can do to make a difference.
All of Me Is Nature: Exploring My Five Senses Outside by Ashley Jefferson (age 2-4)
- About
Learn about the five senses by exploring and playing outside! This book follows kiddos as they explore nature with their fingers, toes, eyes, noses, ears, and taste buds.
- Why We Love It
We love how this book shows real photographs of kids of all ethnicities, genders, and abilities, as they explore the outdoor fun. This book also offers great discussion prompts for outdoor play.
- Things to Know
The author, Ashley Jefferson, is an early childhood and outdoor play advocate who offers nature-focused, Afrikan-centered, child-led fun in Georgia. Give her a follow @playpanafrikan. Outdoor spaces have historically excluded Black people, and people of color. In 2019, Diverse Book Finder, which has data on books featuring BIPOC – Black, Indigenous, and People of Color – characters, found only four books by Black authors or Black illustrators that featured Black characters in nature.
My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan (age 2-4)
- About
The story portrays Mother Earth as a much younger version of Earth with a joyful child spirit. Earth acts as a guide and protector throughout the seasons and ends the final season by lying down for a winter nap to rest.
- Why We Love It
We love the cut-outs flaps throughout the book along with the poetic text reminding us to celebrate Earth and be kind to our planet.
- Things to Know
Planet Earth is referred to as “she” throughout the book to reflect the child in the story.
Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter (age 4-7)
- About
The story features a young girl’s careful tending of a pecan tree. The tree becomes the focus and center for an intergenerational Black family to create new memories.
- Why We Love It
The book goes step by step as the girl grows her tree from a seed. She tends to the tree with love and care, relating it back to her close-knit family.
- Things to Know
The book is inspired by the pecan trees of the author and illustrator’s own childhood.
The Last Tree by María Quintana Silva (age 4-7)
- About
What would happen if one day all the trees decided to uproot and leave? On his way to school, a boy discovers all the trees have disappeared, except for his beloved tree. We see the consequences that the disappearance of trees has on the environment, and the importance of caring and protecting tree life.
- Why We Love It
We love how the story focuses on the preservation of tree life and steps little ones can take to care for plant life.
- Things to Know
The book shows the results of deforestation, air quality, and the effects on the environment. The hardcover edition of this book is printed on stone paper to care for the preservation of trees
Better Than New by Robert Broder (age 7-9)
- About
Two kiddos in Chile find a sea lion caught in a fishing net but are unsure of what to do with the net. The story focuses on the recycling of fishing nets and the many things the nets can be changed into, such as fabric.
- Why We Love It
We love how the book encourages a healthy relationship with the ocean by touching on empathy for the animals, and learning to reuse materials in new ways.
- Things to Know
The book is presented in both English and Spanish on each page.
The Day the River Caught Fire: How the Cuyahoga River Exploded and Ignited the Earth Day Movement by Barry Wittenstein (age 7-9)
- About
This is a true story of how a 1969 fire in one of the most polluted rivers in the U.S. sparked the Earth Day movement on a national level.
- Why We Love It
This nonfiction picture book introduces readers to the Environmental Protection Agency and how it led to the first Earth Day being celebrated.
- Things to Know
The book mentions the celebrations and protests at the beginning of the Earth Day movement.
Whatever you can do now with your family to be more eco-friendly is good enough! Something is better than nothing, and consistency, not perfection, is the goal. We want to show our kiddos that we care for the Earth, and that our small eco-friendly changes matter.
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