Earth Day 2009 is just around the corner and I’ve found some Earth Day activities you can do with your kids. Maybe you can even combine them with an Earth Day party, complete with invitations (don’t forget to check both my articles for tips on throwing a great Earth Day party in 2009).
Fabric
Got any fabric scraps laying around? You can make a pencil holder with fabric scraps and some other easily attainable materials this Earth Day.
You’ll need an aluminum can, white acrylic paint, craft glue, water, colorful fabric scraps, scissors, and a paint brush.
Prime the can by painting it white. This will help your fabric colors stand out better. Once the paint dries, take your craft glue and mix it with water until the glue is thin enough to paint with (but not too thin). Then begin applying little scraps of fabric around the can by painting small sections and pressing the scraps over the glue-covered area.
When you’re done, do some touch up work by cutting scraps that extend over the top and bottom of the can. Let dry.
Ideas: You can add scrap trim to your new desk art as well. If you have any rick rack, old yarn, or other notions laying around that fit the theme, you can add them to your new pencil holder to make it special.
Rocks
If you’ve got access to some nice sized rocks, you can decorate them with paint. They make great paperweights for your desk.
You’ll need some decently sized/shaped rocks, smooth and rounded. Wash and dry them. You’ll also need acrylic craft paint in some common colors as well as more in white or black (whichever you intend to use as your base color), paint brushes, and acrylic matte sealer spray.
Prime your rock with the foundation color that will make the colors stand out better. Then encourage the kids to design their rock as they like….either in an Earth Day theme (like flowers or animals) or in abstract. Whatever they want.
Ideas: google eyes, yarn scraps, felt, and more can be added to your rocks. You’ll just need craft glue to apply them. Just try to keep the accents somewhat flat unless you don’t intend to use it as a paperweight. You don’t want parts getting easily broken off.
Pill Bottles
If you have a few pill bottles or film cannisters around, you can make a first aid necklace.
You’ll need the ability to poke or drill a hole through the lid of your small container. You’ll also need yarn or ribbon, antiseptic wipes, band aids, a safety pin, a piece of hard candy, and other materials you think would be important for a tiny first aid kit.
Cut a length of ribbon or yarn long enough to go around the neck and hang down comfortably, plus a couple inches. Thread both ends of yarn or ribbon downward through the hole in the lid of the pill bottle and tie them as closely to the ends as you can. You may have to knot twice to make the knot too big to fit through the hole you’ve put in the lid. Fill pill bottle or cannister with emergency supplies.
Ideas: You can decorate the outside of your emergency kit with paint. Put a red cross on it or decorate however the kids like.
Crayons
If you have a lot of broken or well-loved crayons, give them new life this Earth Day by melting them down and pouring them into molds to make new crayons. They don’t have to be just one color to be fun, either.
This project has steps that need to be done by an adult but kids who behave can still watch the parts of the process they can’t directly take part in.
You’ll need to do this at home or where you have access to a stove.
You’ll need crayon stubs, wax paper, tin cans or glass jars, a saucepan, wooden skewers, kebab sticks, or chop sticks for stirring, boiling water, and a candy mold, mini muffin tin, or ice cube tray.
Have the kids remove the labels off the crayons. Lay wax paper over the area you’ll be working in. Once they’re almost done, partially fill a saucepan with water and set it to boil. Separate the crayons into piles by color or what final color you want them to be and place them in the little containers. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to medium and place small jars or cans into the water with the crayons in them. Remember, you’ll want the water line below the top of the containers you’re using once they’re in the saucepan. Stir the melting wax with your wooden skewers.
Once wax is melted, pour into candy molds or trays. When they set completely, pop them out of the molds and start coloring.
Remember, Earth Day can be a fun day to teach kids about recycling things they wouldn’t use into things with new life. In 2009, teach kids how to recycle by getting them involved in craft projects with a recycling theme. For Earth Day and every day, it’s a great way to teach kids the things they need to know while keeping them interested. Have a productive Earth Day!
