Free For All At All National Parks This Weekend

NATIONAL PARK WEEK

April 19-20, 2014    Free Admission All Week!

PICTURE YOURSELF IN A NATIONAL PARK this April 20 - 20 as America celebrates National Park Week –– a chance to hike, learn, share, and give back in the nation’s 397 national parks. Each year, we take this time to celebrate what we all have inherited as Americans – 84 million acres of the world’s most spectacular scenery, historic landmarks and cultural treasures.

Whether it is your first trip, or the latest of many memorable park experiences, National Park Week is a chance for all Americans to get active while experiencing the amazing places that make up the national park system for FREE. Visit any of America’s national parks and enjoy free admission all week long!

It''s green enough to have free parks for the week, but how can you make it greener?

Check out Planetpals Green Nature Journal.  Loaded with eco friendly ideas, activities, games, more for camping, picnicking, playing at the park. 

Get Planetpals Park Puzzle Teach Kids to love nature with the Pals while you are there!

Have a Green Earthday! 

© jag planetpals.com 

How Green Does Your School Garden Grow?

Ideas For A  Greener School or Community Garden

Escola José Leite de Souza in Monteiro, Brazil School Garden

It's  Spring and a great time to initiate the school garden.  Perhaps it will be a community garden where the food or flowers grown will be given to seniors or sold to raise money for the school.

Whatever the mission of your school garden, teaching kids to grow is a lesson they will carry with them throughout their lives.  Why not add to that lesson and make it greener!  That means using natural materials as well as recycled materials. At the same time, encourage students to be resourceful, by challenging them to think of ways they can repurpose items to use in the garden.

Use one or all of these ideas to promote greener thinking in the school garden.

• Start with a compost pile to provide healthy soil 
• Start seedlings in recycled containers, such as yogurt cups with covers 
• Collect rain water and other water sources in containers or rain barrels
• Use large soda or milk bottles for irrigation
• Use soda bottles or other containers to make upside down planters
• Make home made natural fertilizers
• Encourage learning about growing techniques such as organic gardening or  hydrophonics
• Encourage local suppliers of green garden supplies to get involved and sponsor supplies for the garden
• Get senior citizens involved, many often know about gardening from experience. Young and old working together will be a lesson in itself!
• Decorate the garden with recycled crafts such as bottle cap wind chimes (these projects are great for younger school children, too!)

Other Simple Growing Tips:.

• Use packing peanuts for drainage (instead of stones)
• Cover the roots with toilet paper rolls (cut in half) When you plant seedlings in the garden-to keep insects away
• Cover the roots with paper cups (cut out the bottom) When you plant seedlings in the garden- to keep insects away
• Keep a tuna can in the garden to measure weekly watering--it should be 1 inch
• Try packing peanuts instead of soil as Hydro phonics
• You can mix peat moss with other materials to create your own growing medium
• To start seeds using perlite, use a mixture of 1 part perlite and 1 part moistened peat moss
• Cover post with plastic bags, wrap or clear container it helps to retain moisture, and keep the soil from drying out

Learn about composting with Squirmy Wormy:

School Garden Projects:

•  The Verde Garden: 
• Growing A Healthy Community
• Common Vision.org
• Garden of Wonders
• Brookside School Farm
• The Edible Schoolyard 

Other Handy School Garden Links and Downloads:

• Planetpals Organic, Natural, Recycle Gardening Ideas, Tips, Crafts

• How to Start a Garden in a Local School
• Starting A School Garden Checklist Download
• The Kitchen garden foundation has a great school gardening program
• From Planet Green- Starting An Edible School Garden
• The School Garden Tool Kit
• Starting A Community Garden At Your School
• Download this How to Start  School Garden Info Sheet
• Designing Our School Garden

 

 © jag planetpals.com All rights reserved

Free Downloadable Recycle Symbol Coloring Page

Great Earthday activity for the classroom or homeschool.

Download this 8 1/2 x 11 Recycle Sign Coloring Page .  Have kids color it, write a poem in it, or do a collage on it.  You could even have them cut pictures of recycle materials such as bottles, cans , newspaper from magazines and learn what recycling is all about.

Teach them the History of the Mobius Loop Recycle Symbol, too. 

Ten Things To Do For Earthday With Kids In The Classroom

Teach Kids to Love Earth Planetpals Way

Earthday is in the Spring and what better way to set an example than at school!

Here are some simple proactive ideas to teach kids responsibility, enlighten them about their world and teach the 3 r's (reduce, reuse, recycle)

Earthday is quickly approaching and what better way to set an example than at school!

Here are some simple proactive ideas to teach kids responsibility, enlighten them about their world and teach the 3 r's (reduce, reuse, recycle).

1. Plan a classroom SWAP. Have kids bring in items such as school supplies, backpacks, lunchboxes, or toys etc that they no longer need and swap them for something they do!

2. Teach kids to love and nurture earth. Prepare earth science lessons on the growing cycle...talk about favorite vegetables and flowers. Start seedlings and plant a class garden. Follow up by watering and watching them grow.

3. Have a school-yard cleanup and beautification. Get local merchants or parents involved in donating materials.

3. Create posters with environmental themes and post them around the school. Better yet, have an effect on the community, and ask local merchants to post them in the windows!

4. Throw an EARTHDAY PARTY. Bake an Earthday cake, cupcakes or cookies illustrated to look like an earth. Have them play Earth related games and read an eco friendly themed book. (2015 = 45th Earthday Birthday, 2020 = 50th Earthday Birthday)

5. Teach kids about packaging. Show them how to look for recycling symbols on products and read labels and use less packaging. Discuss the importance of being healthy inside and out. Discuss Precycling concepts such as buying products responsibly.

5. Put on an Earthday play or puppet show. Invite other classrooms and/or parents. Use earthday Music Such as Planetpals Music CD. Have students make paper mache puppets and scenery from recycled materials or use Planetpals Finger puppets!

6. Do a nature crafts project…make bag holders, dryer lint clay, paper mache or paper and earthday cards.

7. Implement a school recycle program that will last all year long.. Get the kids involved in the planning and research.

9. Make a recycle bulleting board. Post photos of items that can be recycled, list ideas and list where items can be taken such as books to the library, bags to the grocery store and cards to St Judes.

9. Plan a school yard sale. It’s a great way to practice the 4 “r’s. Download Planetpals Yard Sale Sign. Or have them make Yard sale signs from recycled materials.

10. Make a classroom website or blog on an eco friendly topic. Have each student or groups of students contribute articles and images…and work on it collectively through the end of the year.

For additional ideas and handy Earthday helpers, Check out Planetpals “Greatest Earthday Pages Ever” for recycle Kits, free signs, clip art, recycle lessons, lesson plans and eco dictionary.

© jag planetpals.com All rights reserved

Recycle Earthday Project for Preschool

Make an Egg Carton Earth.

What on Earth can you do with preschoolers for Earthday?  

Try this simple recycle craft:  

What you need:

• egg carton
• poster paints
• paintbrush
• glue

How:

1. Cut up the egg carton
2. Paint 2 sections 
3. Stack
4. Glue
5. Let it dry

Options:

• add a string 
• make several and make a mobile!

Recycle fun!