Plan A Kid-Friendly Earth Day Picnic

Earth Day, observed on April 22, offers the perfect opportunity to help kids learn about and celebrate their Earth. Here are 12 tips for a fun and educational Earth Day picnic with your children.

1. Get Outside. Get outside in the sunshine and fresh air to truly enjoy the Earth.

2. Use Reusable Containers, Bags, and Napkins. Pack up your food and drink in reusable containers and bags. Talk to your kids about how using reusable products will create less waste and help the environment.

3. Eat Plant-Based Foods. Have a simple meal of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. While you eat each food, talk about how it is grown. Find ideas for preparing an Earth-friendly meal at The Golden Gleam.

4. Inspect the Seeds. Check out the seeds in your fruits and vegetables and talk about the life cycle of plants.

5. Eat Some Dandelions. Have the kids help gather dandelions and prepare them for eating and cooking. Learn more about dandelions and how to prepare them from Laura Grace Weldon.

6. Read a Book. Bring along a children's book or two about the Earth, plants, recycling, etc. Check out this list of Earth Day books from Carrots are Orange.

7. Go on a Scavenger Hunt. Make a list of things from nature for the kids to find —. aAn acorn, a Y-shaped stick, a smooth round rock, etc. Make it a game to see who can find everything first. Find scavenger hunt tips at Kitchen Counter Chronicles.

8. Play I Spy. Admire all of the shapes and colors in the outdoors by playing an easy I Spy gGame. Call out a color or shape that you spy and see who can find it first.

9. Make Land Art. Arrange rocks, sticks, and leaves into interesting patterns and designs to create instant land art;. Pphotograph it to remember forever.

10. Compost. Teach the kids how to compost the waste from their plant-based meal. Check out Share and Remember for tips on composting with kids.

11. Plant a Tree. Let the kids help plant their own Earth Day tree. Explain the important role of trees in cleaning the Earth's air and providing protection for animals. Visit the Arbor Day Foundation for tips on planting and caring for trees.

12. Clean Up. Make sure to leave no waste behind. Put some gloves on the kids and have them help collect any litter that they see to leave the Earth even cleaner than they found it.

Visit B.Inspired Mama for 25 More Earth Day Activities for Kids. But don't forget: pass on respect for our Earth and truly make a lasting difference by talking about and celebrating the Earth with your children year-round, not just on Earth Day.