Save Those Broken Crayons For This Earth-Friendly Craft
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The first Earth Day celebration kicked off on April 22nd in the U.S. in 1970. It was a national response to rapid industrialization and to sound the alarm that the Earth’s resources are finite. Today, almost two hundred countries from around the globe participate, with over a billion people taking action.
As we approach Earth Day, it’s a good way to remind yourself about the butterfly effect—small changes can make a big impact. This year consider hosting an eco-friendly party. Guests can make arts and crafts, and the supplies are plastic-free. The party can also teach the next generation creative ways to care for the environment.
At House Beautiful, we have rounded up 10 Earth Day activities for kids and adults will enjoy. These climate-friendly crafts can be made with pieces around the house. And it’s time well spent with family enjoying the great outdoors.
Make Earth Crayons
Stop throwing out your old crayons. Instead, rip off the paper wrappings, break them into bite-size pieces (color coordinate for best results), and then bake them in the oven to re-use as playdough. Get the full tutorial at The Gunny Sack.
DIY Macrame Wind Chimes
If you have a bohemian style and you want a minimalist look on your patio. With just a few supplies, you can make wind chimes with high style on a budget in no time.
Meat-Free for a Day
Meat production contributes to a lot of greenhouse gas emissions and exhausts a lot of resources. But, just choosing plant-based meals can make a huge difference. You can actually remove greenhouse gases and preserve land and water usage by over 90%.
Car-Free for a Day
The Department of Transportation in New York City hosts an annual Car-Free Earth Day event. The festival is scattered around the city, streets are closed to cars, and their festivities are around sustainability and climate change.
If you don't live in the big apple. You can still do your part by not driving your car for the day. And if that's not an option to be car-free, consider carpooling, taking public transportation, or riding your bike to lower your carbon footprint.
Build a Compost
You can build a DIY compost in a cinch with a drill, an empty storage bin, and your leftovers from last night's dinner. You'll know when your compost is ready to use when it's dark brown and no longer warm to the touch. Then you can reuse it in your spring garden to plant your perennials.
Start Your Spring Garden
Now that you've made your compost, the next step is to plant your first seedlings for the spring. In a flower pot or raised garden bed, dig a hole in the ground and plant your first seeds of the season. Look for flowers that bloom in early spring and will thrive in your climate.
Earth-Inspired Yoga Class
Yoga is a Hindu spiritual discipline that focuses on controlling your breath, meditation, and body postures and promotes relaxation. And during Earth Day, many yogis want to feel more connected to the Earth through their movements. So consider taking a yoga class outdoors and practicing barefoot. Or sign-up for an Earth Day yoga class, which will focus on specific grounding poses centered around mother nature.
Bake Earth Cookies
Everyone loves a craft that doubles as a snack, and it only takes three easy steps to bake these edible treats. After you make the Earth cookies, find a book about children leading the way on climate activism, like Greta Thunberg, to show that kids can make big environmental changes too.
Paperless Day
Although many of us feel like it would be a breeze to go paperless for a day, you might find it a bit more complicated in real life. No paper receipts, signing school paperwork, or even working with paper documents at work.
At the office, try to have the entire building participate in a paperless day challenge, and the winner gets a free zero-waste kit (I'll explain what that is in a moment).
Make a Zero Waste Kit
You always have good intentions of being eco-friendly in your decisions. But when you make an unexpected trip to the store without a reusable tote or eat out and need to buy a beverage in a plastic bottle, those choices aren't good for the environment. So to avoid these problems in the future, build a zero-waste kit and keep it in your car or somewhere handy so you don't lose it.
Put all the necessities you would need for the day, like a tote bag, reusable water bottle, silverware, a sustainable straw even a cloth napkin. Although it may seem a bit rigid for your plans right now, over time, you'll notice how little you need to take a disposable straw or those paper napkins at your favorite takeout.
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