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How to Teach Your Children to Love Mother Earth: 13 Earth Day Activities and Disneynature Born in China

Earth Day is just around the corner, and we've been working on simple ways to teach our toddler to take care of the environment. We're sharing 13 Earth Day Activities that you can do as a family (bonus, we've got info about Disneynature Born in China)!

Shop our Outfits:
Mommy/ Striped Swing Dress / TOMS Panda Camo Black Multi Women's Classic /
Lydia / toddler grey romper / TOMS Panda Embroidered Tiny Toms Avalon Slip Ons /
pictures by Mily Cooper Photography

13 Earth Day Activities for Kids

plant a container garden: since we rent, I'm hesitant to plan anything permanent……plus, our backyard gets BAKING hot in the summer. Our solution? Container plants that we can move as needed!
nature walk: take a walk around your own community, see what forms of NATIVE nature you can spot
recycling trip: visit a local park, library, or community center and gift them with a recycling container….offer to pick it up once a week
clean local park or beach: local parks and beaches will have scheduled clean ups for Earth Day, they're a great way to meet neighbors and give back
wildlife conservation center: is there a wildlife rescue or conservation center near you? Take the kids to visit and see what they do!
compost pile: start your own compost pile (we are working on finding the right type of bin to start ours)
read the earth book: the Earth Book is one of my favorites, super kid friendly and a great place to start talking about helping the environment!
nature art: collect leaves, sticks, and other nature items…..create a leaf rubbing, collage, or display with them
learn about one endangered species: pick an endangered species, and study them as a family (after seeing Disneynature Born in China……we are OBSESSED with panda bears)
earth art: create a piece of art using an old globe
home energy investigation / watt watcher: do a home watt investigation……do you have energy saving bulbs? Anything draining energy? Challenge your children to be watt watchers….making sure lights are off as they leave each room!
donate clothes to charity: while this may not come to mind immediately…..outgrown or unused clothes can take up a TON of space in landfills. Donate outgrown or slightly used clothes to charities….they'll get additional use!

One of our favorite things to do for Earth Day? To see a great Disneynature film! Disneynature was launched in 2008, and has been creating engaging wildlife stories ever since. This year's release? Disneynature Born in China. We were lucky enough to screen Born in China in January, and I can't being to tell you how much I LOVED IT! This stunning film explores untouched areas of China, and tells the story of three amazing animal families ( panda bears, golden monkeys, and snow leopards).

The best part? YOU can help protect giant pandas and snow leopards just by seeing Disneynature Born in China as a family. During opening week (April 21-27) Disneynature will be donating a portion of ticket sales to the World Wildlife Fund to contribute to the protection of these amazing animals.