Raising Earth-Friendly Kids | Activities for Earth Day

Bees are responsible for populating most of the plants that we rely on for food. A world without bees would be a world far less capable of supporting human life. There are a number of ways we can help to support our bee population such as buying honey from local beekeepers and planting wildflowers to cultivate their habitat. We can also help by creating a bee bath which bees can rest and rehydrate from during their busy days pollenating plants. This is a wonderful activity for children to enjoy and we have put together a step-by-step guide to building your own.

What you will need:
- Bird bath or shallow dish
- Small pebbles and stones
- Water

Put it all together:
- Fill your birdbath or shallow dish with fresh water. Add enough pebbles and small stones to break the surface of the water. The bees will land on these stones to access the water and quench their thirst. Find a shaded spot in your garden to place your bee bath – close to the flowers if you can.

In an effort to counter deforestation, many are taking up the opportunity to plant a tree or a small plant. Growing a beanstalk is a firm childhood favourite so we’ve put a simple set of instructions below for your little ones to follow.

What you will need:
- A small plant pot or jar
- Cotton wool balls
- Bean seeds

Put it all together:
- Moisten the cotton wool balls with fresh water so they are wet but not sodden and place them in the bottom of your jar or pot. Then add your bean seeds – we recommend using a few in case one doesn’t germinate. If you are using a transparent jar or container, place the bean seeds between the glass and the cotton wool balls so that they are easily visible. Keep the cotton wool balls moist by spraying them regularly with water. Leave the pot on your windowsill – your plant will need the sunlight to grow! Once your beanstalk has reached the top of the container, you can transfer it to a plant pot with soil.

There has been a significant shift in recent years into repurposing items you no longer need. This can be something as simple as using odd socks to make sock puppets or it can be a more complex project, such as turning an unwanted bathtub into a sofa. There are so many repurposing projects that are perfect for little hands. We have chosen one of our favourites and provided a set of instructions here if your child would like to have a go – turning a cardboard tube into a bird feeder.

What you will need:
- A cardboard tube
- Lard
- Bird seeds
- Stick or skewer
- Scissors
- String

Put it all together:
- Begin by cutting two small holes opposite each other close to both ends of the cardboard tube. The holes at the bottom must be big enough to fit the stick or skewer for the birds to land on and the holes at the top will be for the string to hang the feeder up. Cover your cardboard tube generously in lard so that the cardboard is barely visible. Pour the bird seeds onto a plate then roll the tube in the seeds so that the lard is covered with them. Attach the string, securing each end with a knot and feed the stick or skewer through the holes at the bottom. Find a spot outside to hang it and enjoy watching your local birds feed on it.

A great way to reduce waste is to make your own compost. Not only does this keep food items from going into landfill, but nutrient-rich compost is fantastic for the environment in other ways too – it creates less need for chemical fertilisers and enriches the soil, reducing the number of pests. Creating your own compost couldn’t be easier. Simply save your fruit and vegetable peel, coffee grains, eggshells, tea and nutshells, collecting it all together in a small composting bin. It is also useful to add grass and plant clippings as well as scrunched up paper, straw and egg boxes. A good balance of green and brown waste will make the perfect compost.

What you will need – a mixture of any/all of the following:
- Fruit and vegetable peel
- Coffee grains
- Tea
- Eggshells
- Nutshells
- Plant clippings
- Grass clippings
- Egg boxes
- Scrunched up paper
- Straw
- Sawdust

Put it all together:
- Mix (in roughly equal measure) your green and brown compost together and place it in a compost bin. These are best kept in the garden, directly on the soil to allow earthworms to make their way in and speed up the composting process. A small sheet of chicken wire along the bottom of the compost bin can help to keep rodents out. Keep the compost bin covered and turn the mixture occasionally to speed up the process. When the mixture resembles brown and crumbling compost, the process is complete.

We’d love to see how you get on with these activities. Send us a photo of your bee bath and let us know how tall your beanstalks grow! Be sure to tag us in your posts @childrensalon