Earth Day Resources for Your Family

Today is Earth Day!
CitizenKid a series of books inspiring kids become global citizens has added a new book to its collection Planet Ark: Preserving the Earth’s Biodiversity. 

Environmentally Themed Movies for Families

Visit Recycle City a computer game from the Environmental Protection Agency

Read OxFam’s Grow Method and booklet Fighting World Hunger at your Table

Consider bringing TerraCycle to your school or business

Use Preserve Products: Nothing Wasted, Everything Gained.

The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is dedicated to planting fruitful trees and plants to alleviate world hunger, combat global warming, strengthen communities, and improve the surrounding air, soil, and water.

Visit my Creation Care Board over on Pinterest. I spent way too much time last week trying to gather the best of the best ideas.

Visit my friend Leslie’s DIY Pinterest board. Leslie is a talented crapter (she up-cycles regular stuff into fun crafts).

Head over to the website The Story of Stuff Project. They have thought provoking videos about creating a sustainable world.

Read the story of creation with your family.

Genesis Chapter 1: In the beginning… God created all we have. I think we have a responsibility to care for it!

Check out some the great earth day books for kids above: The Curious Garden, Compost Stew, Curious George Plants a Tree, Michael Recycle, The Magic School Bus Climate Challenge, Fancy Nancy Earth Day is Everyday, Biscuits Earth Day Celebration, Gabby and Grandma Go Green.  

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

What is your family really great at when caring for the earth? 

Involving Kids: Tree of Life

ThinkQuest: A four square mile patch of rainforest contains 150 species of butterflies.

World Resources of Institute: There are approximately 100,000 known species of trees on earth.

No two clouds or snowflakes are exactly alike.

A person could travel the world their entire lifetime and not witness everything.

Millions of people have studied the wonders of creation throughout time and still, there are new discoveries daily.

 

 

Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth

By: Rochelle Strauss        Illustrated by: Margot Thompson

This book is from the CitizenKid collection of stories. They seek to inform kids about the World around them and inspire better global citizenship. You can read about the CitizenKid book If the World were a Village here:  http://aboutproximity.com/2012/05/09/if-the-world-were-a-village/

As an introduction to biodiversity, this story with beautiful illustrations stands as a great family read.

This summer spend a little time marveling at the creation around you. Go on lots of nature adventures.

Pointing out all the amazing facets of our shared environment creates a spirit of respect and care in our kids.

 

Involving Families: The Lorax

Dr. Suess! His creations stand timeless. Read the book the Lorax as a family this summer. If you have not seen the movie, I highly recommend choosing it as a family movie night.

We do not see many movies in the theater, but we were able to see this with the kids and their Grandparents when they visited us from Iowa. The Once-ler used truffula trees to make a special product called thneeds. In the movie the truffula trees wave wispy like colorful cotton candy puffs. Thneeds become wildly popular, everyone needs a thneed!

Instead of finding a way to use the truffula trees and still sustain the environment, the Once-ler exhausts all the resources. The truffula trees are no more, leaving behind an empty, colorless world.

The message of the Lorax remains one to share with our children. If you only take, everything becomes unbalanced. For our modern day in time we should ask: will we be too late? We need to place a priority on caring for God’s creation. This is an effort the whole family can be involved in.

An additional activity: make your own truffula trees with pipe cleaners and colorful poms. The kids can use toys to act out the story as you read it.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ The Lorax