History of Earth day-
"In the Beginning...In 1963, former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet. (A senator is a person that the people of the United States have chosen to help make the laws.) Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying.
He wondered why more people weren't trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and to the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.
The IdeaThen, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment. He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article in Scholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned. (Most of the schools got this magazine and he knew that kids would help him.)
The HolidayOn April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held. People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn't it great?
Ideas for Earth Day-
1. Reduce electricity- Explain to your children that lights, computers, televisions and furnaces use energy, and that energy is in short supply. Jessica Altman of Buffalo, NY, encourages her 3-year-old to always flip off the light when she leaves a room and shut off the TV when she’s no longer watching. Now the toddler even reminds others: “Turn off the light!”
Appliances like DVD players use energy even when off, so cutting the power totally is the only way to conserve. Go shopping together to buy power bars and plug your electronics into them (watch little ones closely so there are no shocks).
2. Take small steps- There are dozens of small things your kids can do every day to save energy and keep the world cleaner and greener. Your kids can:
Shut off the water when they brush their teeth
Walk, ride a bike or take the bus instead of traveling by car
Take faster showers or baths in just a small amount of water
Help hang clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryer
Choose products that are not over packaged
3. Recycle- Explain to your kids that every bottle and can they use is waste that just sits in a big pile at the local dump if we don’t recycle. Get them involved by making it their job to sort recyclables and take them out for pickup. (Remind them to watch out for broken glass and ask for help if this happens.) If there’s no recycling collection in your area, find out where you can drop off items.
4. Make a reusable bag- One of the first projects Poe and her friends did as pat of Kids FACE was to make fun bags for grocery shopping. Plastic shopping bas are a big garbage problem -- it takes 1,000 years for a bag to break down! Here’s how: Have your kids help you choose some heavy fabric and sew it into simple rectangular bags with handles. Or, buy some canvas bags at a craft or environmentally friendly gift shop. Then use fabric pens to draw pictures on them. (Check out our Canvas Grocery Tote bag craft for detailed instructions.) Take the bags out with you every time you shop."
1. Reduce electricity- Explain to your children that lights, computers, televisions and furnaces use energy, and that energy is in short supply. Jessica Altman of Buffalo, NY, encourages her 3-year-old to always flip off the light when she leaves a room and shut off the TV when she’s no longer watching. Now the toddler even reminds others: “Turn off the light!”
Appliances like DVD players use energy even when off, so cutting the power totally is the only way to conserve. Go shopping together to buy power bars and plug your electronics into them (watch little ones closely so there are no shocks).
2. Take small steps- There are dozens of small things your kids can do every day to save energy and keep the world cleaner and greener. Your kids can:
Shut off the water when they brush their teeth
Walk, ride a bike or take the bus instead of traveling by car
Take faster showers or baths in just a small amount of water
Help hang clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryer
Choose products that are not over packaged
3. Recycle- Explain to your kids that every bottle and can they use is waste that just sits in a big pile at the local dump if we don’t recycle. Get them involved by making it their job to sort recyclables and take them out for pickup. (Remind them to watch out for broken glass and ask for help if this happens.) If there’s no recycling collection in your area, find out where you can drop off items.
4. Make a reusable bag- One of the first projects Poe and her friends did as pat of Kids FACE was to make fun bags for grocery shopping. Plastic shopping bas are a big garbage problem -- it takes 1,000 years for a bag to break down! Here’s how: Have your kids help you choose some heavy fabric and sew it into simple rectangular bags with handles. Or, buy some canvas bags at a craft or environmentally friendly gift shop. Then use fabric pens to draw pictures on them. (Check out our Canvas Grocery Tote bag craft for detailed instructions.) Take the bags out with you every time you shop."
Recipes for Earth Day-
http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/earth-day-recipes.html
Crafts for Earth Day-
http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/earth-day-recipes.html
Crafts for Earth Day-
These ideas and more are from http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/index.html?source=holidayslnv&kw=earthdayholLN
