It’s never too early to start teaching your tods to love and care for the environment.  Earth Day is April 22nd, and here are some awesome ideas to try out with your little ones in honor of the special day.

1.  Earth Day Mural

Instead of throwing away scrap paper, junk mail, used stamps and/or craft items, etc., use them to make an earth day collage or mural.  Super simple and creative!

2. Eco-Friendly Crayon Melts

This crafting activity is perfect for a hot place like Thailand!  It teaches your tods about solar energy and the results are super-cool.

Directions:

• Gather some wax crayons, aluminum foil, cookie cutters, and paper plate, and find a very hot sunny spot.
• Start by peeling, breaking, and/or shaving your crayons into small pieces (crayon shavings melt the fastest).
• Cover your plate in aluminum foil.
• Place the cookie cutters on the plate in a sunny spot.
• Add the broken/shaven crayons to the inside of the cookie cutters, as shown below.
• Keep yourself and your tod busy for at least an hour to allow the crayons to melt (I say this is a great activity to do while swimming for an hour or two with your tod in this Bangkok heat).
• Let the shapes cool inside, then pop them out of the cookie cutters.

3. Puffy Paint Earth

Make the planet Earth with your tod using shaving cream!  It might get messy but it will definitely be fun!

Directions:

• Gather shaving cream, white glue, green paint, scissors, a marker, blue paper, a spoon, and container or bowl.
• Start by mixing your paint. You will need 3 parts shaving cream to 1 part white glue, and green paint.  Use as much green paint as you need to get the color you want.  Your tod will have a blast mixing this!
• Draw a circle on your blue paper.
• Let your tod paint!   He/she can do this the sophisticated way with a paintbrush, but more likely will choose to scoop paint on to his/her hand and slap it down (per the below). 
• Let the painting dry and cut out out the circle (“planet Earth”). The paint will dry nice and puffy.

4. Bagel Bird Feeder

How tods love birds!  This is fun and simple and will garner so much delight from your little one when the birds discover it hanging from your balcony or tree.

Directions:

• Gather a day old bagel, honey or peanut butter, birdseed, and string or ribbon for hanging.
• Spread the peanut butter or honey onto the entire bagel.
• Roll the bagel in the birdseed (most of the bagel should be covered in birdseed).
• Tie the ribbon or string through the hole of the bagel.
• Hang the birdfeeder from your apartment balcony or a tree in your yard.
• Wait for the birds to come!

5. Grow Bean Seed in Cotton & Water

Turn your little ones into young gardeners.  Watching the seedlings sprout is sure to elicit excitement in your tod!

Directions:

• Moisten enough cotton balls to cover the bottom of a cup or plastic bag. The cotton should be damp but not dripping.
• Place the cotton balls at the bottom of the cup or plastic bag.
• Place the number of bean seeds you want to germinate on top of the cotton.
• Close the plastic bag or cover the cup with plastic wrap. Place the bags or cups in a sunny window and watch for germination.