10 Fun Things to Do for Earth Week

Here is my list of how we are going to be celebrating Earth Day all week. 
Check back often, I will be posting individual and detailed posts (with photos) of the crafty stuff.

1.  Have a Go Green Challenge at home or in the classroom. 

Take the challenge to introduce your kids to something NEW they can do for the environment!  See my post about it here.  Check out the Go Green Challenge checklist here to get some ideas.

2.  Plant an herb garden

Decorate cans from your recycling bin with mod podge and paper and plant herbs in them for a fun GREEN project!  See the idea that inspired me at kaboose.

3.  Make Mud Pies (or Earth Cakes)! 
I used to make these of the time as a kid but I have to admit that I dont allow my kids to get into mud!  Now is the time to let them go crazy.  Provide some pie tins (I got 4/$1 at Honks) and go on a Nature Hike to collect twigs, grasses, sticks, rocks...whatever nature has created.  Then add water and let the kiddos make an Earthy pretend treat. 

4.  Have an "Earthy" Dinner.
Dinner:
~Dirt Meatloaf in a ball pan.
~Grass sticks (celery) and trees (broccoli)
~Blue Ocean Jello

Desserts:
~Earth Fried Icecream, I got these Fried Icecream and Tempura recipes from cooks.com. Color Marshmallow cream blue and green and drizzle on for the "Earth" look.

~We made these Earth Day Bars last year for the second grade Earth Day Party.

~Make Earth Worms and Dirt to eat!  You can follow the recipe here.

Decorations:
~Make Earth Day place card holders...I love place card holders, they always add a lot to decorate a table!

~Make vases out of recycled cans or bottles for "Earthy" greenery!
  
5.  ReUse! 

Don't forget to reuse your old jeans!  I showed these ideas here and here.

6.  Have a Creation Family Home Evening Lesson

Talk about why the Earth is here, why it was created, and how we should take care of it.  Do one of the other "fun things" for an activity and make one of the desserts for a treat...like the dirt cups!

7.  Make a Go Green Banner

Use brown paper bags and recycled materials. Hang it to remind everyone to GO GREEN this week!

8.  Dress It!

Wear Green shirts or Earth Day shirts!  I found mine at Target for .75 but I still need to make one.  I think I will let my son do it the way Kendra from My Insanity did.  I have a green t-shirt, "Earth Lover" letters, and brown paint (instead of bleach) in a spray bottle for my 9 year old to make it.

9.  Enjoy being outside. 

Write Earthy messages with Green sidewalk chalk.  Blow Green Bubbles.  Go on a "Trash Hike" and beautify your neighborhood by picking up all of the trash you can find! (Here is a photo from when we did this last year)

10.  Go Crafty with recyclables. 

Give the kids tape, rubber bands, and glue and let them go crazy. 

Here we have a guitar with attached microphone and a rocket!