Celebrating Earth Day 2011 with your Children

We all know the importance of taking care of our planet. We depend on Earth to provide us with food, water, shelter, oxygen, energy and more. Animals and plant-life depend on Earth for their survival, as well.

It's essential that we as adults and parents pass along the message to our children that each of us is responsible for the care of our planet. We must provide them with the knowledge and tools to make Earth a better place to live. Here are some ways that you and your family can celebrate Earth Day 2011 together.

1. Plant a tree or garden with your child. Animals depend on plants for food and shelter. Plants also provide oxygen for all living creatures.

2. Help your child make a bird feeder. Many craft stores sell easy to assemble kits, or you can make one using a pinecone, peanut butter, and bird seed. Visit crafts.kaboose.com for directions.

3. Encourage your child to turn off the TV and play outside instead. Take this time to play a game of catch with your child or explore nature in your own backyard. You'll both benefit from the fresh air, exercise and quality time spent together. The environment will benefit from the electricity being saved.

4. Clean up a local park or playground. Take your child to an area in your community that has been littered, and help beautify it. You may even want to organize a communitywide clean up, but make sure everyone wears disposable gloves.

5. Encourage your child not to leave the water running while brushing his or her teeth. It is very wasteful. If your child likes long showers, try setting a timer for 5 minutes. Not only will it save water, but it will help keep your child from missing the bus to school.

6. Instead of driving your child to a friend's house or the local ice cream shop, ride your bikes. It saves gas, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and gives you one-on-one time with your child.

7. Teach your child how to recycle, and encourage your child to do it on a daily basis. Children do not always understand which items can and cannot be recycled. Teach your child where to find the recycle symbols on products and how to sort recyclables properly.

8. Make sure your child has a reusable lunch box for school. Using paper lunch bags is not environmentally friendly. Set an example by purchasing reusable bags for your weekly trips to the supermarket instead of using the plastic or paper bags provided by the store.

9. Remind your child to turn off lights and electronics when they aren't being used. In this age of technology with computers, iPods, and an Xbox in almost every household, it's important to conserve energy whenever possible.

10. Check out Earthfest 2011 at Temple University's Ambler campus Friday, April 29, to learn more about how your family can help the environment.

To learn more about Earth Day or for project ideas to try with your child, visit www.planetpals.com/earthday.html.

Remember, this year Earth Day will be celebrated Friday, April 22. I hope that you and your family will make at least one positive change in your daily lives to help protect our planet.