Category — Earth Day

If you enjoy gardening and want to share that love with your children or grandchildren here is an eco-friendly activity; plant a tree together.

If you want to “go green” opt for soy-based crayons. They were developed by a teacher to fill three needs: help improve a child’s grip for future pencil use, offer a high quality art material, and be ecologically responsible. This site also has other “go green” items. 3 Green Moms

Earth Day Government Portal
Envirolink Resource Guide
Kids Soup
Planet Green
Earth Day Network

Kids Planet A great website for kids with games, facts & lots of cool stuff about wildlife.

Save your old magazines and let your grandchildren use them to create stories.
You’ll need magazines, scissors, glue, blank paper and a pencil. Let your grandchildren cut out pictures and words from magazines to create an original and story.

Download Paper Sack Journal Pattern This is a unique and fun way for your grandchildren to keep up on their writing skills while camping or traveling. They can keep postcards, brochures or other items in the paper sack and write or draw about their adventures.
You’ll need: 2 lunch size paper sacks, staples or tape

A remarkable letter from Mother Earth asking for help from children everywhere and entrusting them with her protection. The illustrations are exquisite.

Materials: 5 sheets of newspaper for each apron, yarn, scissors, paper punch
Directions:
1. Stack together the 5 sheets of paper so the edges are even.
2. Cut away the armhole sections as shown in diagram. The dimensions may not be exact depending on the size of your newspaper.
3. Punch 4 holes – 2 at the neck and 2 at the sides.
4. Tie the yarn securely in the holes.
It’s now ready to put on and use to protect your clothes when doing a special project. Be sure to recycle the paper when the apron is no longer needed. A word of caution: don’t wear the apron over light-colored clothing, the ink has a way of rubbing off.

Materials: A variety of paper that you might normally throw away or recycle (magazines, Sunday colored comics, wrapping paper, small scraps of colored paper), scissors, glue, pencil, yarn.
Directions:
1. From your variety of paper, cut strips measuring about 4 inches long. The width may vary from ½ – 1 inch depending on the size of bead you want.
2. Wrap the strip of paper tight around a pencil.
3. Glue the end of the bead.
4. Slide the bead off the pencil.
5. Make enough beads for a necklace or bracelet and string with yarn.
The math connection is stringing the beads in a pattern using color, size or both.

Materials: Sandwich bag, a piece of paper the size of the sandwich bag, a variety of items you might normally throw away or recycle (magazines, colored paper scraps, wrapping paper, ribbon, yarn, sequins, etc.).
Directions:
1. Create a picture with recyclable items and glue on one side of the paper.
2. Write a short story or poem on the opposite side of the picture. If your grandchild isn’t writing yet have them tell you what to write and they can sign their name.
3. Slide the paper in the sandwich bag. The items from the picture won’t get lost and your grandchild with have the picture and the story they created together.

Variation: You can use a photograph of a special event or a post card from a vacation and write about it. The sandwich bag will keep it protected.