Earth Day 2011

April 22nd is Earth Day!  While some people celebrate it by doing something to help our planet on one day, this is something that should be done year round as a habit.  Here are the top 10 things my family does to celebrate our Earth everyday!

1.  Use resuable bags at Aldi's and Target (Target gives you $0.05 off for every bag).
2.  We have a paper collection bin in the garage and all paper gets thrown in there.  Think of all the paper in your house every day just from junk mail!  We then dump the paper in the Paper Retriver bins located practially everywhere!
3.  We have a cardboard collection bin in the garage.  All carboard goes into this bin.  Think of the carboard that is often generated just from making dinner!  About every 2 - 3 weeks we dump the carboard into bins made available by our city!
4.  We have a garbage can in the garage for all plastic and glass that can be curbside recycled!
5.  Out of a room?  Lights off!
6.  We try to wash all clothes in cold water!
7.  Minimize as much drying clothes as possible in the clothes dryer bby hanging items outside!
8.  Donate clothes, shoes, and household items to people who can re-use them.
9.  Combine errands into one trip to reduce gas usuage
10.  Reuse plastic shopping bags as garbage can liners!

Free Reusable Tote from Kelloggs for Earth Day

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Celebrate Earth Day!

Together, Toys"R"Us and Roots & Shoots have developed the following list of activities to help families appreciate the outdoors this Earth Day.

Jump! Whether you call it skipping rope or jump roping, it's a great activity to improve strength and fitness and can be performed on grass or pavement.

Retreat to the Beach. Instead of driving to the beach, recreate a piece of the coast's serene atmosphere with a sandbox in the yard.

Be Farm and Garden Fresh. Get to know your local farmer and enlist the kids to join you at the local farmers' markets. Better yet, plant your own garden that everyone can care for and enjoy all season long.

Let's Go Fly a Kite! Show the kids how to soar into a colorful sky with only the force of nature to power your kite. A centuries-old activity, kite flying can be enjoyed at any age—with a little wind, of course!

Give Back. Gather the family for a volunteer day dedicated to beautifying the earth. Many communities have organizations that champion environmental protection and regularly organize events like stream and trail clean-ups.

Be Bubbly! Invite the neighbors to create bubble wands out of objects found around the house like straws, pipe cleaners, strawberry baskets and coat hangers. Take the kids outside and have your own bubble party!

Take a Hike. Locate a nature trail near you and take the kids on a woodsy adventure. Hiking is a group activity that provides great exercise and hands-on experiences with the natural world.

Start a Kickball Game. All it takes is a rubber playground ball, make-shift bases and some friends to start a kickball game. Create a neighborhood tournament and coach the kids though innings of bouncing fun.

Catch and Release. Butterflies are some of nature's most beautiful creatures, although they aren't easy to observe when they flutter in the sky. Using an insect or butterfly net, capture them and show the kids how to appreciate their beauty up close. Then let them loose.

 

To learn more about the Jane Goodall Institute and Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, please visit janegoodall.org and rootsandshoots.org.