Happy Earth Day!
At Melissa & Doug, we take our commitment to sustainability seriously. Want to do your part at home to help protect the planet? Here are some eco-friendly activities you can take on as a family — for Earth Day and beyond.
Earth Day Play Tip #1: Develop an appreciation for nature
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Go for a nature walk. Take a walk in a green space and discuss the birds, flowers, and other natural wonders you see. Visit a national or state forest, take a hike, and climb trees together. (If you don’t live near a National Park to visit, they offer virtual tours online.) Spending time outdoors is the perfect way for kids to build appreciation for it.
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Plant something. Plant flowers (perennials), trees, plants, or a vegetable garden at home. You can always start with a play garden first that just lets kids explore and get their hands dirty!
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Get educated. Read books about nature such as “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss, “Alba and The Ocean Cleanup” by Lara Hawthorne, and “10 Things I Can Do to Help My World” by Melanie Walsh.
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Clean up. Participate in a local Earth Day clean-up event as a family; visit the official website to find a local event near you. Or pick up trash at the playground, park, or around your neighborhood.
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Watch something sprout. Plant wheat or chia seeds in a jar to show kids what happens when they sprout!
Earth Day Play Tip #2: Reduce and conserve at home
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Layer up. Feeling a little chilly? Try putting on a sweatshirt instead of turning up the heat.
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Lights off. Ask kids to help turn off lights around the house when not in use.
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Get kids recycling. Sort and recycle materials as your local municipality offers; make it a game to get kids to help!
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Save water. Remind kids to turn off the water while brushing their teeth. Better yet, have kids make a sign to hang up near the faucet as a reminder. At bath time, use less water; older kids, take shorter showers. And ALL kiddos, use cooler water.
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Start composting. Create a DIY/homemade compost bin for your garden and plants; it reduces and reuses food waste, and transforms other biomatter into natural food and fertilizer. You can start with this preschooler-friendly composting activity that uses a recycled soda bottle as the composter!
Earth Day Play Tip #3: Repurpose old items to give them new life
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Spring clean the toy box… Do a toy box audit with your kids—recycle the broken and unwanted items, upcycle what you can (check out these inspiring ideas for giving longer life to Melissa & Doug wooden trays), and donate or pass along playthings they’ve outgrown.
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…And the closet, too. Turn old T-shirts into tote bags, quilts, dog toys, woven rugs, and more.Transform old socks into hand puppets.
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Get creative with cardboard. Take a cardboard box and magically create a city, castle, car, or rocket ship.
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Repurpose the plushies. Use outgrown or unwanted stuffed plush toys as filler for bean bag seating.
- Collect their crayons. Collect all their old and/or broken crayons, put them in silicon molds that go in the oven and voila—custom-made, multi-color crayons you can re-use or gift.
BONUS: Check out our Made to Re-Love printables with gift tags to inspire you and your child to re-gift toys you've loved!
