Earth Day Activities For Children You Can Do Close to Home

Blog Earth Day Activities For Children You Can Do Close to Home
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Katie Fox

Apr 14, 2020

Earth Day is right around the corner (April 22nd) and why not celebrate it in style with one or more of these easy and fun activities! The best part? Almost all of these can be done right at home!

Plant a pollinator garden

You don’t need a yard to plant bee and butterfly friendly flowers! A balcony is perfect for growing a sunflower or maybe some lavender. Need some ideas on which flowers to plant? The US Forest Service has you covered. Their website has information on ways to attract pollinators and you will even find links to regional and native plants to consider.

boy holding flower

Do a neighborhood trash cleanup

Unfortunately, trash always seems to find its way onto the ground. Grab some gloves and a bucket and meander through your neighborhood picking up trash. Kids love it and it is so good for the environment. Here are some tips for trail clean-up safety and a video about how to keep trails litter free that you can apply to your neighborhood efforts.

Create a nature weaving

Another way to store and display the many wonderful nature treasures children find is to create a nature weaving.

Use food scraps to plant veggie starts

Looking for a way to reduce your food waste? What better time to explore a new way of starting a vegetable garden than to celebrate Earth Day! This blog post offers some vegetables to try and how to go about it.

Make wildflower seed bombs

There are a variety of recipes, but the basics are wildflower seeds, compost/dirt, and clay. Such a fun activity and they make great Earth Day gifts.

Play outside

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to soak up some time outside with family. Here is a list of 30 things you can do right outside your door in 30 minutes.

girls playing on a swingset

Learn something new about nature

Don’t know much about snails? Or maybe you want your kids to know more about the plants native to your area? What better time to dive in and learn more about the nature around us than Earth Day!?

Read nature-related books

Take some time on Earth Day to read some books focused on nature. Bonus points for reading them outside! Check out this blog post for Earth Day theme book ideas.

Create a nature playscape in your yard

Spend some time outside creating a more nature-focused play area for your children. Include your children in the process. This Hike it Baby blog post offers some easy ideas to incorporate nature in any play area.

Go on a nature scavenger hunt

Create a simple scavenger hunt with items you know are in your local park or neighborhood. Find some ideas here or view this Pinterest board for more inspiration.

Sort recycling

Teach your kids the difference between bottles, cans, paper, and more. Let them help you sort through your recycling. If you go on a neighborhood trash pickup, you could also sort the trash and pick out the recycling. Make it a game. Kids learn best when playing.

Eat dandelions

Nourish your bodies with a healthy edible flower. The dandelion greens are great in salads and the petals are delicious in cookies. There are a lot of recipes out there to incorporate these healthy edible flowers. Learn more!

Cook an environmentally conscious meal

Celebrate Earth Day by eating environmentally friendly food. Shop local, eat vegetarian or vegan, or eat foods you grew or that are ethically sourced. There are a lot of options.

Learn About Leave No Trace Practices

Check out these Hike it Baby blog posts that will help you teach your littles the important points of practicing Leave No Trace on the trail and set the foundation from an early age.

Make a bird feeder

Celebrate Earth Day by feeding the birds. Egg cartons or the cardboard centers of toilet paper, with some peanut butter and bird seed make for an excellent, Leave No Trace friendly, (and easy) craft.

Go for a walk in your neighborhood

Get outside and walk your neighborhood. Just being outside and soaking up some mother nature is an excellent way to honor the day.

Explore worms and composting

What better time to dive in and explore the world of composting? No need to start a compost pile (unless you want to), you could spend the time learning about how compost works and what process worms play.

boys looking at nature with magnifying lenses

Make leaf rubbings

Even though it is Spring, finding leaves on the ground to make leaf rubbings with can still happen. This is a project that is always a hit and is so much fun for children and adults alike.

Construction paper sun prints

Grab some construction paper, some household or nature finds, and explore this fun outdoor activity! This blog post lays out how the process works.

Start a nature journal

Increase awareness or better document time spent in nature with your children by nature journaling. And what better time to decide to learn this process than Earth Day!?

Make a bug hotel

Bugs need homes too and spending Earth Day building them a home is a wonderful and engaging activity. Plus, for all those budding entomologists, this makes for a neat place to stop and observe bugs in action. Here is one example of making a simple bug hotel.

Create art with recycled materials

Instead of throwing away the egg carton or tossing the junk mail, use it to create works of art!

Any other ideas out there for fun and simple Earth Day activities to do with children? Let us know in the comments! Join a community of like-minded parents and caregivers with a shared mission of connecting families with babies and young children to the outdoors and each other. Learn about Hike it Baby membership options and join the fun today!

About Hike it Baby

Hike it Baby is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to getting families outdoors and on trails across the U.S. and internationally, supporting, educating and inspiring families through their more than 300 communities across North America. Since its grassroots inception in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, Hike it Baby is now a growing community of 270,000 families and 500 volunteer branch ambassadors hosting more than 1,600 hikes per month. More information, as well as daily hike schedules, can be found at HikeitBaby.com, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Photos courtesy of Jessica Human and Laura Castro.

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Updated for 2025: Spring Sensory Celebration Spring is here, and with it comes OutGrown’s Spring Sensory Celebration! This season, we’re inviting families to explore the outdoors through all five senses—starting with taste! While we often focus on what we see or hear outside, taste is another way to deepen our connection to nature—when done safely. Whether sampling fresh food at a farmers market, foraging for wild berries, or cooking with edible flowers, there are many ways to experience nature through taste. While wandering through nature, we take in our surroundings using our senses. We smell flowers, touch tree bark, listen to bird calls, see details (like an ant trail on a tree), and even taste some of the natural objects we come across (think berries or edible flowers). While investigating nature in this way comes naturally to most children, sometimes we forget to allow children the time and space they need to do it. We share five ways to explore each of the five senses with children. So get outside as a family, slow down, and explore nature with your senses together! Photo Credit: Ashley Schneider Exploring Nature Through Taste Taste may not be the first sense that comes to mind when exploring the outdoors, and as parents, we often work hard to keep little ones from putting everything in their mouths. But when done intentionally and safely, tasting nature can be a fun and educational experience. Children as young as 2-3 years old can begin to understand the difference between edible and non-edible plants (though supervision is always essential). Teaching kids about where their food comes from helps them build confidence, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. Five ways to slow down and experience the sense of taste in nature: 1. Taste the Farmers Market Farmers markets are a great place to introduce kids to fresh, local foods. Let them pick a new fruit or veggie to try at each visit—it’s a fun way to connect food with nature and the people who grow it. Encourage kids to compare flavors: Is this apple sweeter or more tart than the one we had last time? How does a fresh tomato taste different from one at the grocery store? Small moments like these build lifelong curiosity about food and nature. 2. Go Foraging (Safely!) Foraging is a fun and educational way to connect children with nature. It teaches them about edible plants, seasonal changes, and responsible harvesting. Wilderchild’s Foraging for Wild Edibles with Kids guide offers practical tips on getting started, safety essentials, and ways to engage young explorers in hands-on learning. From identifying beginner-friendly plants to fostering a sense of stewardship, this resource helps families build confidence in the outdoors while creating meaningful nature experiences. 🌿 Read the full guide here: Foraging for Wild Edibles with Kids – Wilderchild. 3. Cook with Edible Flowers Dandelions, violets, and nasturtiums are edible flowers that can be used in fun recipes, such as cookies, syrups, and salads. Cooking with flowers is a great way to make tasting nature a safe and delicious experience! 4. Visit a U-Pick Farm Foraging isn’t for everyone, but U-pick farms provide a similar experience with less guesswork. Children can pick their berries, apples, or vegetables—tasting them at their absolute freshest. Many kids are likelier to try new foods when they pick them themselves. To explore local options, check out [Find a U-Pick Farm Near You](Here). 5. Play "What’s That Taste?" Turn taste into a fun game! Gather fresh food items—herbs, fruits, veggies, or nuts—and blindfold your child. Give them small bites of each item and let them guess what they’re eating. Mix in familiar flavors with new ones for a fun challenge! Need hints? Try: It grows in the ground! (Carrot) It’s red and juicy! (Strawberry) It smells like pizza! (Basil) This is a great way to encourage kids to try new foods while making taste exploration fun and interactive! Keep Exploring! Want to engage all five senses? Join our Spring Sensory Celebration! 📢 Share your outdoor taste adventures using #SpringSensory and tag @WeAreOutGrown! Then check out our other sensory guides on smelling, hearing, touching, and seeing to keep the exploration going! About OutGrown OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a world where every family can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We work to remove barriers and provide families with babies and young children opportunities to take their first steps into nature. Since our grassroots start in 2013, OutGrown has grown into a thriving community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Community Hub Leaders. Learn more about our programs at WeAreOutGrown.org. Editor’s Note: Help Us Keep This Content Free We hope you enjoyed this post from OutGrown. We work hard to provide families with valuable content, resources, and inspiration to make outdoor exploration easier and more accessible. If you believe in our mission, please consider contributing. Your support helps us create free resources, develop engaging programming, and expand our reach to families everywhere.

Exploring Nature Through Smell: 5 Scent Activities for Kids

Updated for 2025: Spring Sensory Celebration Spring is here, and with it comes OutGrown’s Spring Sensory Celebration! This season, we’re exploring the outdoors using all five senses—starting with smell. While wandering through nature, we take in our surroundings using our senses. We smell flowers, touch tree bark, listen to bird calls, see details like an ant trail on a tree, and even taste some of the natural objects we come across (think berries or edible flowers). This kind of sensory exploration comes naturally to children, yet we often forget to slow down and give them space to experience it fully. From the scent of fresh rain to the crispness of pine needles, nature is filled with smells that help us connect more deeply to the world around us. Let’s slow down, take a deep breath, and experience the outdoors through smell. Photo credit: Kyla Phillips @mirroredmomentsphotography Exploring Nature Through Smell Our sense of smell plays a significant role in our world experience. It helps us identify places, triggers strong memories, and influences our emotions. By encouraging kids to engage with their sense of smell outdoors, we help them develop a deeper appreciation for the environment. Here are five simple ways to slow down and explore nature using smell. 1. Stop and Smell the Roses—Literally! Nature is full of scents, from sweet flowers to earthy tree bark. Encourage your child to take their time and notice different smells as they walk outside. 🌿 Try This: Ask them questions like: Does this smell sweet, earthy, or spicy? Is it strong or faint? Do different flowers have different scents? This activity helps kids develop vocabulary around scents and builds sensory awareness. 2. Smell the Air The air carries a variety of scents depending on the time of day and the weather. Take a moment to stop and breathe deeply—what do you notice? 🌦️ Try This: Step outside in different conditions and compare how the air smells. After a rainstorm: Fresh and earthy In the morning: Crisp and cool On a warm day: Dry and grassy Near water: Fresh and breezy Noticing these subtle differences helps children recognize how nature changes over time. 3. Find a Scent Trail Turn scent exploration into a game! Pick a smell—like pine, lavender, or mint—and challenge your child to follow their nose to find another source of that same scent nearby. 🔍 Try This: In a forest, kids can track the scent of pine needles from trees to the ground. In a garden, they can find different herbs with similar scents. This helps develop observational skills and makes exploring nature more interactive. 4. Create a Smell Collection Collect natural items with strong scents and create a scent jar collection for your child to explore. 🌸 Try This: Gather pine needles, fresh herbs, flower petals, and tree bark. Place them in small jars or bags and have your child identify each scent with their eyes closed! This is a great hands-on way to reinforce learning and encourage sensory exploration. 5. The Scent Memory Game Smells can trigger strong memories—sometimes even more than sight or sound! 🧠 Try This: Ask your child if a particular smell reminds them of something special: The ocean? A beach trip Fresh-cut grass? A Backyard Summer Day Campfire smoke? A family camping trip Encouraging kids to connect smells with memories helps deepen their personal experiences with nature. Keep Exploring! Want to engage all five senses? Join our Spring Sensory Celebration and experience nature in a whole new way! 📢 Share your outdoor smell adventures using #SpringSensory and tag @WeAreOutGrown! Then check out our other sensory guides on taste, hearing, touch, and sight to continue the adventure! About OutGrown OutGrown is a national nonprofit working to ensure that every family, especially those with babies and young children, can experience the benefits of time outside. Since our grassroots beginning in 2013, we have supported more than 300,000 families with the help of thousands of volunteers across the country. We believe nature belongs to all of us from the very beginning. That means creating opportunities, removing barriers, and supporting families in finding their way outdoors, whether that starts with a stroller walk, a community outing, or a quiet moment under the sky. You can learn more and explore our programs at WeAreOutGrown.org. Editor’s Note Thank you for reading. At OutGrown, we believe content should offer more than information. It should create a connection, support real-life caregiving, and reflect how families grow together through nature. Everything we share is made with care by our team and volunteer community. If this piece inspired you or helped you feel more confident in your outdoor journey, we invite you to support our work by donating today. Your contributions help us keep resources free and accessible to all families. Please remember that the experiences and tips shared in this article are for general information only. They are not a substitute for professional medical, mental health, or safety advice. Always consult with a qualified provider if you have specific concerns or questions. We are glad you are here. We are growing something meaningful together