With Earth Day being today, we thought we would share some ways for you and your little ones to celebrate this special day! Here are 8 easy, fun activities to enjoy with your little ones to celebrate Mother Earth and all of her blessings that you can do today and all season long to enjoy the spring!

1) Nature Bracelets: Put a large piece of Scotch tape or a piece of masking tape on your little ones wrist. Make sure the sticky side faces out. Go for a nature walk and collect flowers, clovers, and leaves and stick them on the bracelet. Your child will have a ball and not to mention a beautiful bracelet to wear the rest of the day!

2) Shadow Fun: Go outside and put on some funky music and have a dance party with your shadow. It’s also a great way to show how the Earth moves in a day. Just stand in the same spot intermittently throughout the day and trace your shadow each time. After all… without the sun, there would be no Earth!

3) Read a Good Book about Mother Earth: Pick a bedtime story about the Earth for your little one. My favorite is Dear Children of the Earth by Schim Schimmel, but some other good choices are And Then it’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry, and a classic, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.

4) Photo Documentary: All you need is a sunny day, a phone or camera and a little hand to hold. Go for a walk and take pictures of signs of nature in and around your neighborhood or better yet a nearby park. Have fun reviewing your pictures of nature with your child. You can make a slide show or print out your pics and make a book of your discoveries!

5) Construction Paper Sun prints: Purchase a pack of construction paper for this craft. The cheaper the better, because the color will fade faster! Dollar store construction paper is best. Go for a walk and collect flowers, leaves and any other items you would like to duplicate. Sometimes household items are fun too! (buttons, scissors, favorite toys). Place the items on your paper and leave in the sun for a few hours and voila! A masterpiece!

6) Make a Pine Cone Bird Feeder: What you’ll need: 1) a large, open pine cone, 2) vegetable shortening, lard, or suet, 3) oats or corn meal, 4) bird seed, 5) a few feet of string. Tie a few feet of string to a pine cone. Cover the pine cone with the food mixture. Roll the pinecone in birdseed and then suspend it from a tree branch outside. Food mixture: Mix 1/2 cup Vegetable shortening, lard or suet with 2 1/2 cups cornmeal or uncooked oats until well blended. Optional: add dried fruit (chopped up), chopped nuts, seeds (especially sunflower and millet), and/or suet, which are high-energy bird foods. Hang it in the backyard or outside a window and enjoy seeing all the birds stop by!

7) Build a Fairy Garden: Take an old pot and fill it with dirt or pete moss and make an adorable home for a fairy. Use a bird house or doll house furniture, leaves, flowers, and pebbles to make your garden come alive. You could also build at the bottom of a tree trunk or in the bed of an existing garden. Skies the limit for this fun filled project. Bath time when you are finished!

8 ) Nature Color Wheel: Cut a circle out of poster board or paper and label the colors of the rainbow with a blank circle. Have fun going on a treasure hunt to find beautiful colors in your own backyard. You and your child will love the finished product!!!

What are some of your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day and the spring season? Let us know in the comments below!