Every day isn't Earth Day, but it should be. You probably do your best to make sure your children are environmentally responsible -- even the youngest kids can learn how to put things in the trash and why it's not a good idea to leave the bathroom faucet running. You can lead by example by demonstrating good recycling practices, picking up litter, turning off unused lights and shunning plastic grocery bags. But sometimes, the entire family needs a little kick start.
Even if your kids know the basics of being green, it never hurts to have a special occasion for really driving your examples home. Earth Day is an opportunity to bring these lessons into sharper focus. We're not saying you have to sit your kids down and lecture them about programming the thermostat, composting and using compact fluorescent light bulbs. That would probably backfire and cause them to go on some sort of destructive environmental rampage -- so may we suggest the gentler (and much more fun) "playing games" method? Your kids will have a great time, and they'll learn much more in a hands-on manner than they would reading a book or watching a movie about environmental responsibility.
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So, without further ado, here are five entertaining (and educational) kids' activities for Earth Day.