CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Wednesday, April 22, is Earth Day and a perfect day to take your children outside for fresh air and to learn more about planet Earth.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries.

Earth Day celebrates it’s 50th anniversary this year and all are encouraged to celebrate in their own way including virtually on Earth Day’s official site. 

Here are a few super easy projects you can do with your kids, using items you already having in your pantry, under your bathroom sink or in your laundry room.

Projects

This is a super easy, project and you likely have everything you need right in your kitchen.

Ingredients: Baking soda, white distilled vinegar, a balloon, empty 2 liter plastic bottle, funnel

Directions:

  1. Pour baking soda into your balloon filling the balloon halfway.
  2. Use the funnel to pour vinegar into the water bottle, filing about 1/3 of the bottle.
  3. Cover the top of the bottle with the bottom of the balloon.
  4. When ready, lift the balloon and let the baking soda fall into the vinegar.
  5. Watch as the mixture fizzes, bubbles and inflates your balloon.

 

  • Backyard Scavenger Hunt 

This project requires a list of nature items. Due to social distancing, make sure these items are actually located in your yard and let your child explore and find nature’s beauty.

Suggestions for a list include: rock, stick, leaf, grass, flowers, bug, dirt, tree, spider web, feather, ant, litter, tree bark, birds nest, water,

Feel free to customize your backyard scavenger hunt. Provide a basket or container for your child to gather their items or let them point to items that can’t be collected, like spider webs and ants.

  • Nature in Photos

Give your child your smartphone or camera and together search your yard for some of nature’s beauty. Help them photograph their findings in creative ways and let them post their gallery on your social media page.

This three item project is a fun way to recreate mother earth.

Items: Coffee filters, blue marker, green marker, spray bottle

Directions:

  1. Color the coffee filters with blue and green marker. Remind your kids that Earth is made up of a lot more water so they want to use more blue than green.  You dont’ have to be neat or stay in the lines. Just have fun!!!
  2.  Spray the coffee filter wtih water, until the coffee filter is saturated. This is a project that’s great to do outside so there’s less clean-up or over the sink if it’s a rainy day.
  3. As you spray the coffee filter the colors will run together and you may need t o rotate it so you can cover the entire surface.
  4. Lay your unique earth coffee filter out to dry.

If you have a slime-crazed kiddo whose always creating slime, turn it into a learning experience (And you already have the ingredients).

Ingredients, borax, blue glitter, green glitter, clear Elmer’s glue, two cups of hot water, 2 plastic containers for mixing, one slime container for storing.

Directions:

  1. Pour one cup hot water into a container and add 1/2 teaspoon of borax. Mix well.
  2. In a second container  pour 1/4 cup of room temperature water. Squeeze a 5 oz bottle of clear glue into the water.
  3.  Add in blue glitter to the container with the glue and water. Stir it all together slowly but thoroughly.  (Note if you don’t have glitter, some have used food coloring or washable paint.)
  4.  Pour the glue mixture into the hot water and borax mix. Let it sit for 20-30 seconds.
  5. The slim will start to form pretty fast in the hot water. Pull it out and put it in your empty bowl. It will be pretty sticky at this point.
  6. Knead it for a few minutes and it will thicken and set.
  7. Repeat the process except add your green glitter or green food coloring.
  8. Mix the two colors together to make a fun Earth.
  9. Store in airtight container.

Teach your child how it rains from the clouds using shaving cream.

Items: a couple of clear glasses, vases, or bowls, food coloring, shaving cream,, small bowls, water, eye dropper or 1/4 tsp measuring spoon

Directions:

  1. Fill the small containers with water, the less water you use, the faster your “rain” will drop. But the more water you use, the more rain you’ll be able to make.
  2. Add different color food coloring to each of the glasses or vases.
  3. Fill a clear glass with water about 2/3 full and top it with a generous amount of shaving cream.
  4. Use the eye dropper (or measuring spoon) to slowly drop colored water onto the shaving cream. It will work its way through the shaving cream and come down as rain.
  5. Repeat using various colors.

For more ideas visit Pinterest.com