Go Green: 20 Shoppables to Help Kids Celebrate Earth Day Every Day
Kids + the outdoors = a perfect pairing. These 20 fun finds will get them outside learning about the world around them and how they can impact it in a positive way.
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Green Up Their Thumbs
Teach kids the magic of gardening and watching plants grow. This kit includes 10 paper seed bombs and a daisy-shaped plantable to fill your backyard with blooms. The set also includes three herb seed bombs — basil, chives and parsley — so kids can add a little flavor to their chicken nuggets. And, of course, it all comes in a recyclable gift box. BUY IT: PlantablesandPaper at Etsy, $10
Get to Work
With all your new gardening projects, your little ones will need their own tools. This colorful set includes a child-size wheelbarrow, shovel, hoe, soil and leaf rake so kids can work alongside you during outdoor adventures. BUY IT: Magic Cabin, $29.98 and up
Tree-to-Be Kit
Hands-on experience truly gives children the opportunity to take a tree from a seedling to a fully grown tulip tree. Start the tree in its clay pot, then a little over a year later, you and your kids transfer it to your yard where it'll start to yield blooms in 10-15 years. BUY IT: UncommonGoods, $22
Pucker Up
Meyer lemons right off the tree give kiddos a fresh taste of nature. And even though planting a tree from a seedling is a thoughtful way to show kids the full journey of a tree's growth, patience isn't always our younger counterparts' strong suit. Alongside your tree seedling, plant this bare-root tree in a container or the ground and enjoy the fruits of your labor a lot sooner. BUY IT: Williams-Sonoma, $69.95
Adopt an Endangered Animal
For your animal lover, donate to the World Wildlife Fund to help protect endangered species and their habitats. From pandas and elephants to narwhals and great white sharks, your child adopts a stuffed animal version of their favorite creature with the money going toward aiding conservation efforts around the world. BUY IT: World Wildlife Fund, $55 and up
Change the World
Inspire your kiddo with a shirt that shares what you already know about them — that they can change the world. Available in both boy and girl styles, each purchase is empowering women in India with the opportunity for a career and education. BUY IT: Sudara, $29
A Butterfly's Life
Experience the life cycle of a butterfly with your kids. This kit comes with everything you need to raise and care for the included larva, that you and your kids watch turn into a chrysalis, then emerge as beautiful painted lady butterflies. Release the little pollinators into your yard to enjoy your flowers. BUY IT: Carolina, $36.75
Attract Butterflies
Naturally, you need beautiful flowers for your butterflies. Order a trio of buddliea, more commonly known as butterfly bushes, that attract butterflies (and hummingbirds!) to your yard. Bonus: They smell divine, bloom profusely and bring color and beauty to your landscape. BUY IT: Spring Hill Nurseries, $74.97
10 Things to Help My World
Bedtime reading just got a little kinder for our planet. Introduce even the youngest member of your family to simple ideas they can do every day to improve the world around them, from turning off the water while brushing their teeth to using both sides of the paper when drawing. BUY IT: Barnes & Noble, $8.99
A Home for Bees
Mason bees (don't worry, these guys don't sting) visit up to 1,000 flowers a day. Welcome these hard-working pollinators to your yard and garden with this happy house, and help kids learn the immense importance bees have in our world. BUY IT: Gardener's Supply Company, $21.95
New Life for Old Paper
Teach the art of recycling by finding new uses for old newspapers and magazines. Simply feed scraps of paper into the tool, turn the handle and transform the cast-offs into paper beads, perfect for making fun jewelry or crafty decorations. BUY IT: Amazon, $8.95
A View Under Ground
Give kids a worm's eye view of their veggies. Plant carrots, radishes and green onions in the see-through container so you and your kids can watch how they grow underground. BUY IT: Hearthsong, $34.98
Compost Stew
Banana peels, eggshells and apple cores, oh my! From A to Z, teach kids what to and what not to include in a compost pile. Each illustrated page is a cleverly constructed collage that will delight young readers, as will the playful rhymes. BUY IT: Fat Brain Toys, $10.89
Earth Gift Basket
Send love around the world with a gift basket that nourishes the environment. Heifer International empowers families by teaching sustainable farming practices. With this gift, you and your kids can provide a family with a hive of bees and tree seedlings. The bees give the family extra income through wax and honey, as well as pollinate for better crops. The seedlings prevent soil erosion and create shade for animals. BUY IT: Heifer International, $60
Buy Responsibly
Created from plantation-grown, sustainable rubberwood, this creative puzzle is made with the earth in mind. Not only is it a challenging puzzle, it also makes for an adorable decoration and, separately, each animal is a toy ready for imaginative play. BUY IT: BeginAgain, $40
Get Outside
Leave the TV and tablet behind and head into the great outdoors. This cozy hammock gives you and your kids the perfect place to relax and take in nature's beauty. Your buy also helps your fellow man with 50 percent of Pine Valley Outfitters' profits going to non-profit organizations that aim to end homelessness. BUY IT: Pine Valley Outfitters, $59.95
Handy Water
So long, disposable water bottles. Teach kiddos the importance of reusable water bottles and not creating excess waste. Kids will love the adorable graphics and adults will love the spill-resistant design. BUY IT: CamelBak, $9.75 and up
Crafty Kids
Spark the earth-awareness imagination of your child with a crafty kit that focuses on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). The monthly subscription service stays green by minimizing packaging, using recycled materials and ensuring supplies can be composted or recycled. BUY IT: Green Kid Crafts, $12.95 and up
Recycled Art Supplies
These star-shaped colors are made from crayons collected by the National Crayon Recycle Program. Additionally, each purchase supports Recycling Education, a program that employs people with developmental disabilities. BUY IT: Amazon, $12.95
No Trees Harmed
Draw and color on paper that doesn't harm a single tree. Mr. Ellie Pooh's products are created with fair-trade principles and are 100 percent recycled, made from 30 percent elephant dung and 70 percent recycled paper. Kids will get a kick out of their paper's humble beginnings. BUY IT: Mr. Ellie Pooh, $7.99 and up