Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day virtually
Just because the usual in-person celebrations have been cancelled, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in your home, backyard, and (when safe) your neighborhood.
Have some fun, get outside, and celebrate our amazing planet!
For kids
Get outside! (if it’s safe to do so)
Take a walk around the neighborhood and complete this Earth Day Scavenger Hunt.
Discover what’s in your own backyard by identifying as many species as possible through a backyard bio-blitz! Seek is iNaturalist’s kid-safe and family friendly app through which you can earn badges for seeing different types of birds, amphibians, plants, and fungi.
National Geographic has a more in-depth curriculum if you want to make this a homeschool activity.
Get crafty!
Embrace the reduce, reuse, recycle mantra by crafting with materials found around the home! Our favorite is #13-Earth Day Sun Catchers (sun emoji).
The World Wildlife Fund is also hosting the Art for Earth challenge.
Join your fellow Earthlings online
Attend a Children’s Solar Hour hosted by our own Dori Wolfe on May 6th @ 3:30 p.m. ET.
You can also check out these short films by winners of the One Earth Young Filmmakers contest. The next screening is Sunday, April 26th at 11:00 a.m. ET. Scroll to the bottom of their page for the kids films!
NASA has also put together an awesome Earth Day toolkit.
Listen to an Earth Day story
Many libraries and nonprofits are hosting Earth Day Storytime events both on Earth Day and during Earth Week. The beauty of our new virtual world is that you can participate in events happening regardless of where home is!
- April 22 @ 2:30 p.m. ET: Albuquerque Balloon Museum Wednesday Story Time
- April 22 @ 12:00 p.m. ET: Virtual Earth Day Storytime hosted by the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum at James Madison University
- April 25 @ 1:30 p.m. ET: Virtual Earth Day Storytime hosted by Northfield Public Library Minnesota
For older kids and kids at heart
Bulk up on your Earth-related knowledge
Host Solar Trivia next time you have a virtual get together with friends or family
Join Rutgers University’s Earth Day at Home Webinar Series starting April 20th and running through June 29th.
Become a citizen scientist
iNaturalist is an easy to use app where you can upload photos of plants, animals, and insects. You get to learn and your photos are then shared with scientific data repositories for scientists to use in studies.
Can’t get outdoors? Participate in the nature-related projects on Zooniverse.
Take action
Check out EarthDay.org’s 24 Hours of Action Campaign for ways to make a difference this week.
Have solar? Upload a virtual tour of your solar system to help others learn about the benefits of going solar!
If it’s safe for you to do so, run in a virtual Earth Day race like the Run for Clean Air or the Earth Day 24,901 Miles Challenge.
Attend a celebratory virtual screening!
Most of the following include a live Q&A during and/or after the screening.
- April 22 @ 12:00 p.m. ET: “The Goddess Project” (Free)
- April 22 @ 6:00 p.m. ET: “Manatees: Conserving a Marine Mammal” (Free)
- April 22 – May 4: “The Story of Plastic” (Free)
- Starting April 22 @ 9:00 p.m. ET: The Earth Day Film Fest-includes 6 different films (Free, donations appreciated)
- April 22 – 30: EARTH, A Film by Nikolaus Geyrhalter ($12 for 72 hour access to the film)
- April 22 – 26: One Earth Film Fest’s Earth Day Virtual Mini Film Fest (Free)
- April 23 @ 9:00 p.m. ET: DEEP LOOK Earth Day Film Fest (Free, suggested donation)