This year, Earth Day turns 51! 51 years of celebrating our planet’s environment and raising awareness about pollution. It is a day to get our hands dirty, dig deep and reflect how our lives impact the planet and discuss how we can make the Earth a better, healthier place for generations to come. It is also the perfect day to grab the kids for a fun activity! Getting kids involved in taking care of our planet when they are young encourages them to continue the tradition throughout their lives.
Running out of ideas for activities after this past year? Not to worry! We have a fun idea to do with the entire family to celebrate this beautiful Earth Day. The best part is you will be recycling AND creating a cleaner play space simultaneously. Parental win-win!
Make a recycled placemat for playtime!
One of our favorite childhood memories is making papier mâché creations. With so many kids still in virtual learning, Earth Day is a great reason (not that we need one) to incorporate this activity into a day of fun AND learning for your kids. Don’t worry, they won’t feel like they’re learning, but they will be!
Step 1: Collect newspaper from the recycling bin.
The impact that recycling has on our Earth is HUGE. Taking the small time it takes to throw your excess paper into a separate bin for recycling is a great way to help take care of our planet.
Step 2: Cut the recycled newspaper into 2 inch wide, 12-inch-long strips.
The size is of course up to you. We’re making a play mat here so do what works best for you and your kiddies! You may want to keep a sheet as a base in case there is any dripping.
Step 3: Weave the pieces in a basketweave pattern, over, under, over, under, and repeat!
We recommend taping the top right or left corners of your first 2 strips together. This will give a foundation to weave the rest of your placemat together!
Step 4: Time for papier mâché!
Here comes the extra fun. Make a paste with flour and water (1 part flour with one part water, start with one cup of each) until you get a glue-like consistency. Add a bit more water if it’s too thick, then papier mâché away! Grab a paint brush and cover your recycled newspaper mat. You will repeat this process two to three times. Be sure to let the mat dry completely before adding additional layers of your papier mâché mixture.
Step 5: Paint a fun picture on top.
Since this activity is in honor of Earth Day, we suggest a beautiful Earth portrait, but hey, it’s your mat! Let your imagination run wild.
And that’s it! You are well on your way to a fun-filled Earth Day. The only thing missing? The plant based snacks, of course! Another easy and effective way to help conserve and protect our environment starts with our snack plates. Papier mâché is sure to get the kids (and you) nice and hungry so don’t forget to have one of our plant based snacks on hand!
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