Celebrating Earth Day in Columbus

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Each year, Earth Day is celebrated in 193 countries on April 22. Worldwide events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Did you know there are numerous events taking place right here in Columbus to celebrate? What’s even better is that many of the events involve family time! Check out the list below for ways to participate, help, and create memories in your neighborhoods or even in the convenience of your backyard!

Earth Day Events in Columbus

Celebrate Earth Day with Seeds of CaringApril 13, 2019, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Woodward Park | Seeds of Caring and Woodward Park Recreation Center are excited to provide this opportunity for kids and their families to give back in celebration of Earth Day. Event activities will include: preparing and planting the center’s educational garden, litter clean-up, making wildflower seed bombs, decorating brown paper grocery bags with Earth Day messages, and more! Join us for an afternoon of meaningful Earth Day fun!

Earth Day Celebration in Downtown Columbus: April 20, 2019, from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in Genoa Park | Join in rain or shine at their new location at Genoa Park downtown for a day-long celebration featuring local music, family-friendly activities, eco-friendly artisans, and Columbus’ best food trucks. Earth Day Week in the city of Columbus, takes place from April 13- April 20 with a number of volunteer opportunities to sign up for. For more information on volunteering, see their website below. There are SO many to choose from! 

Website: Columbus Earth Day Volunteer Sites

Earth Day Garden Party in Worthington, OhioApril 20, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.| Join the families of Worthington for Make a Local Difference Day at the Northwest Library. They will distribute tree and shrub seedlings as well as some native perennials. There will also be opportunities to prepare the library gardens for the growing season.

Earth Day Festival in Westerville April 20, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Come to the Columbus and Franklin Metro Park to celebrate our planet with a variety of family-friendly activities and service opportunities. Meet at the Nature Center.

Earth Day in Dublin, Ohio April 20-27, 2019 | Several activities will take place this week including waste collection day, a service project and passing out free tree seedlings. See their website for more information!

Earth Day in Gahanna, OhioApril 27, 2019, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Join the city to plant trees and for other park landscape projects. New West Side Park ribbon cutting ceremony will take place after! 

Earth Day at the Zoo: April 27, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |  The Columbus Zoo will also be celebrating all that mother nature has done for us! Don’t forget to take a trip to the Conservation Courtyard to visit with the Metroparks, Delaware Conservation District and many other organizations! 

Earth Day in Hilliard, Ohio: April 27, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | The City of Hilliard is planning a fun and educational celebration of Earth Day. They will have fun activities for the kids and residents can learn about composting, energy efficiency, water conservation, and more. They will also be hosting several recycling drives and coordinating volunteers for litter pick-ups.

While there are many events all around the city to celebrate and honor our great planet, some of the best lessons can be taught right in your backyard and neighborhood. Below are a list of ideas to do with your kids and teach them about taking care of our beloved Planet Earth!

Earth Day Ideas

  1. Plant a tree in your back yard. Your kids will be amazed as it grows each year and becomes their special tree.
  2. Take a walk around the neighborhood and pick up trash along the way. Talk to your kids about the importance of keeping our Earth clean and why we should help! Or, head to one of our amazing Metro Parks and help pick up trash there. 
  3. Take a nature scavenger hunt. Use the print out here and your kids will have a blast! Earth Day Scavenger Hunt

    Go on a nature scavenger hunt!
    Go on a nature scavenger hunt!
  4. Make a birds’ nest craft. You can gather leaves, rocks, grass, twigs and anything a bird would use to build a nest. Use these materials and play-doh and your kids can create their own bird nests. We had a blast with this activity!

    Gather up items around the yard such as twigs, grass, leaves, so that your kids can create their own birds nests with play doh!
    Gather up items around the yard such as twigs, grass, leaves, so that your kids can create their own birds’ nests with play-doh!
  5. Have your children take the items to the recycling bin all week long. Be sure to talk about the things we can recycle and the importance of recycling.
  6. Read a story about recycling or taking care of the environment. For a list of great books to check out at the library, use the link here. Books to read on Earth Day
  7. Take the kids outside and get your garden planted for summer. It may be a bit early for this, but just getting the area prepped and soil ready will get your kids involved. This is a great way to get your kids to make healthy food choices as well! Read more about: Gardening with Children
  8. Make recycled crafts- Paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, magazines, newspaper- you name it! Painting these items or making them into a collage would be a fun way to incorporate using recycled materials.
  9. Have your kids create a Fairy Garden- Your kids can use their imagination and have endless hours of make-believe play. You can start by using an old pot and add different birdhouses and accessories (seashells, marbles, twigs, buttons, etc.) to it. Your kids will love the home they create and can come back to visit and play often!
  10. Make a pine cone and peanut butter bird feeder- Completing this project will allow your kids to appreciate the creatures in their own backyard. You can spend time together as a family watching who comes by for a tasty snack!

Wherever this Earth Day finds you, out in the city or your backyard, we hope you create some meaningful memories with your kids on this unique day!

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Maureen Ingham
Maureen Ingham has enjoyed living in the great city of Columbus for nearly 13 years! Originally from Canton, Ohio, Maureen attended Ohio University and will always be a bobcat at heart! After completing her education degree in Athens, she made her way to The Ohio State University to obtain a Masters degree in Special Education. She fell in love with Columbus then and convinced her now husband to join her in this awesome city! She taught 5th grade for 6 years, before deciding to stay home to raise two beautiful girls. Their family has recently moved to Worthington with their two girls and are excited to plant their roots here! Their first daughter, Maeve is 6 and her sister, Reese will soon be 5 years old. They welcomed a son, Miles in March 2020. Maureen has been with The Columbus Moms Blog since the beginning and now enjoys working on editing and events for the blog. She also works as a Postpartum Doula with her sister at a company called Together Wee Grow. They provide night nursing services, as well as daytime support to local families and babies in Columbus. It is a wonderful job to work along her sister and help families with their precious little ones in a vulnerable time period. In between the night shifts, sweeping up crumbs, exploring Columbus, and getting kids to where they need to be, Maureen enjoys working out, trying new recipes and restaurants, traveling, spending time with family, being crafty and trying to help others whenever she can! Maureen has many Columbus favorites. Her go-to restaurant is Third and Hollywood, she enjoys a sweet treat at Sassafrass Bakery or Fox in the Snow, a slice of pizza at Dewey's Pizza and a warm cup of joe at Highline Coffee. A perfect Saturday involves an outdoor activity with her family and trying a new restaurant when they can! She is excited to be a part of an excellent team here at Columbus Moms blog and hopes to be able to inspire mothers that small acts of kindness go a long way in raising their kids and the city they live in!