18 Activities For Kids That Are Perfect for Earth Week

April means Earth Week, fellow earthlings.

It's a great time to think about impact, and ways in which we can reduce our footprint. But it's also a great opportunity to connect with nature. 

From activities to crafts, scavenger hunts to videos, I hope these 18 activities bring you awareness and a whole lot of fun!

Use Food Scraps That May Otherwise Go To Waste

After a week of family meals, there is always some kind of waste. 

But instead of simply letting those scraps accept their fate as garbage, Mara Shaugnessy and Alexis Hillyard have chosen to make art!

You can use celery, brussels sprouts and, really, whatever you have that is on its last legs!

If you work better from step-by-step photos, click the image above or click here to see the full article. But if you prefer a video demonstration, here's Alexis Hillyard's adorable walk-through:

Get Planting

An oldie but a goodie, Shanti Nordholt-Mcphee has crafted some colourful wildflower seed bombs that are as fun to make as they are to plant. 

Grab some seeds and some paper, and you're already halfway there! (You can get all of the steps here.)

Upcycle!

Make A Robot

Your recycling is a great place to look for raw materials for crafts. 

Like the recycled robots seen above. (Click here to get all the steps to make one!)

Make Music

Bringing the band back together? Well, you're going to need some instruments. 

And you can make a variety of instruments reusing materials from around the house. 

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

If you've got toilet paper rolls, there are many crafting opportunities. 

Turn outdoor exploration into an observer's paradise with binoculars (seen above) or a telescope — Parks Canada has the instructions here.

Desks in some serious need of decluttering? Turn the clean-up into an activity, by turning some recycled paper rolls into an adorable desk organizer. 

Hearts aren't just for Valentine's Day. Show some love every day with this simple and sweet heart garland made from your recycling!

One more way to use those rolls is a classic: make a castle! Except this time around, why not try making it alongside a pink, fuzzy monster. Watch the video above or follow the step-by-step instructions at CBC Parents.

Nature Crafts

When you're on a hike there is plenty to see. Kids will pick up fallen leaves, stones and more. So put those to use!

Bring back any discovered leaves to make leaf silhouette paintings.

Leaves are versatile, too. If your kids find an assortment of trimmed or fallen leaves, try making art out of them — like these nature bugs, made by Jill Dubien. 

Are those boots made for walking? Have your little ones find the perfect stick and bring it home before your next hike. Painting fallen branches is a great activity to add some personality to your next promenade. 

A fun way to create memories is a field book. If you're out and about a lot, and you want to collect mementos, this is how to do it. Think of it as a nature scrapbook! And if you are taking nothing but pictures and leaving nothing but footprints, bring some drawing materials with you next time so your kids can draw out some favourite things, like flowers, trees or wildlife. More in the moment? Parents can take pictures of kids' favs for drawing inspiration when y'all get home. (Get the instructions on how to make a field book of your own here.)

Kids Are Doing It For Themselves

CBC Kids is full of great articles to get little ones motivated to take small steps to protect the Earth. A great post to start with is "Everyday heroism — how you can save the world in little ways" — but be sure to check cbckids.ca for even more great kid-friendly stories for Earth Week. 

Thoughtful Viewing

If you're looking for a show for kids that shares accessible lessons about climate change, Big Blue is a great way to enter that conversation. That's because Captain Lettie and the Calypso Crew are always ready to tackle whatever challenges come their way, like protecting the waters they call home.

If your kids are a bit older, from school-age to tween, Endlings might be more their speed. An alien is hunting down the last of every endangered species to protect them from extinction, with a little help from a group of foster kids.

If you're more of a YouTube household, CBC Kids' "Every Day is Earth Day" playlist has hours of short videos exploring all the ways in which the Earth is special.

And you can join Gary the Unicorn and Mr. Orlando as they learn to be Earth Helpers by using reusable water bottles, turning off the lights, driving less and more!