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just off the heels of earth day comes yet another opportunity to talk nature with your kids.
with lunches to pack, diapers to change and homework to correct we're supposed to celebrate ARBOR DAY???? the idea alone might push you over the edge? not to worry, it's bark is worse than it's bite.
some simple suggestions to help you see the forest for the trees;
plant a tree
hug a tree
lay on the grass and admire a tree
***sit and read a story (The Giving Tree?) under a tree
climb a tree
pick fruit off of a tree
just be together in the presence of a tree.
the lesson: reminding our kids that so much of what we need in our lives comes from trees; paper, wood and a little something we like to use quite often... oxygen. the birds, squirrels and thousands of other living beings need them for their homes. so, they pretty much deserve their own day.***my favorite, it's a "kill two birds with one stone" activity.
here's a link for how to plant a tree from TREE PEOPLE.here's a link for how to climb a tree.
there are SO many fantastic things to do with your kids to celebrate earth day (april 22). start by browsing all of the global warming projects on this site.
i thought it might be nice to give the earth a gift: LADYBUGS!
go to your local garden center. you can purchase a small cardboard container - the size of a pint of ice cream, for about $8 - filled with hundreds of live ladybugs that you and your kids can release into your yard or neighborhood park. the ladybugs help the earth by eating the mealy bugs and aphids (for those of us with brown thumbs, those are the bad guys). your kids will marvel as they fly all around making it feel as though you are in wonderland! and isn't that what it should always feel like when you're a kid?
the lesson: the earth takes care of us; gives us parks, trees, beaches. we can't just take and not give. it's a two-way street.
***added bonus: bugs crawling all over you that is actually somewhat pleasurable.
i love to post projects that can be as long or as short as YOU want them to be. however, let's face it, even if you wanted to spend all the time in the world baking dog biscuits and finding a shelter to whom you can deliver, most days we have ZERO extra time.
BUT... there is always time for a bedtime story.here is another favorite which shows kids the power of one small gesture, it's chain reaction and how easy it is to make a difference, "ordinary mary's extraordinary deed".
to buy this book, see acme library on the right
(this only works if you are on the acme sharing website)
talk about REUSE...
take your child to a garage sale, salvation army, antique store, goodwill, flea market, whatever. tell them you are on a treasure hunt. you can set out looking for something specific or find whatever catches your eye and make up a story around it: who used to own this? what happened? how did it find it's way to where we found it? it sounds really corny, but trust me on this one, people, it is a TREASURE of an activity. and word to the wise, say "treasure hunt" as much as humanly possible for the effective buildup!this was a huge hit at my house and the crappy "gold" pocket watch we found for $10 has become a cherished item. plus, there is the new found urgency to learn to tell time.
the lesson: one man's trash is another kid's treasure.***added bonus: the plastic play sets from target, made in china, with their twist twist twist ties, that your kids are interested in for 2 days, who needs 'em?
here's a link to finding locations to the salvation army near you
as we get closer and closer to living a greener and greener life, (change light bulbs, check. install solar panels, check), here's a helpful item. if your child brings lunch to school, you have an idea of just how many plastic ziplocks are floating around the landfills.
lunchopolis offers this: no pvc. no lead. no leeching. no garbage. no huge selection of super cute patterns, but i guess you can't bite the hand that feeds. we all have to make sacrifices, no?
the lesson: nothing you haven't already heard; reduce, reuse, recycle.
here's a link to lunchopolis.com
