Today isn’t just any Earth Day–– it is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day! First celebrated and founded by Gaylord Nelson in 1970, the day was meant to increase climate awareness and create a movement that focused on environmental protection. On the very first Earth Day, 20 million people gathered in streets, parks, and auditoriums in order to fight against pollution that contributed oil spills, pollution from factories and power plants, toxic dumps, pesticides, extinction of wildlife, and loss of wilderness.
What was truly amazing about the first Earth Day day was that everyone, despite their different backgrounds, came together to fight for a common goal: to protect the environment from further harm. The first Earth Day had quite an impact, eventually leading to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the passing of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts!
Today, millions of people around the world celebrate Earth Day by taking action, advocating, and learning how to help the Earth! We invite you to join in with the millions of other people and join in on the celebration–– and we have plenty for you to do.
Let’s Play Earth Day Bingo!
Looking for ideas on how to celebrate the occasion? Look no further! We have two Bingo cards for you, each with 25 items, totaling 50 activities and ways you can celebrate Earth Day not just today but EVERY day!
The “Earth” card has fun activities you can do while celebrating our lovely planet, and the “Day 50” card has ideas for lifestyle changes you can adopt into your everyday routines. When you put the two cards together, they read “Earth Day 50”!
Begin by selecting either card and completing activities to get five in a row. If you’re up for the challenge, see how many “Bingos” you can make! Can you do all the activities on one card?
Even if you’re able to complete just a few activities here and there and don’t quite get a Bingo, that’s totally OK! We encourage you to do your best and have fun with it. One small act can have a huge impact.
Earn a Patch!
Save the planet while you save some energy! Earn your Save Our Energy Patch. For this patch, you will focus on what action we can do individually to slow climate change. When each of us does our part to save electricity and water at home, together we make a significant difference in reducing our carbon footprint.
How to Complete Earth Day Bingo Activities
We have put together a few resources for completing many of the Earth Day Bingo activities. First, download the activity packet that walks you through step-by-step instructions for some things you can do!
Download the activity packet and watch the videos below!
You can also watch these awesome videos that teach you about a few other activities!
- How to make a nature journal
- A nature walk and exploration
- How to build a solar oven out of a cereal box
- Composting indoors and outdoors
- How to plant a seed indoors
- The 7 Leave No Trace Principles
- How to make a reusable bag out of an old t-shirt
- Relaxation with nature yoga
Share Your Earth Day Story
We are so excited to see what lifestyle changes you make or are planning to incorporate into your life! We would love for you to share your photos and ideas with us so we can see how our Girl Scout community is helping the earth. For the photos that you share, we ask that you write down the lifestyle change you made on a sign and pose with it while you’re in action. Be creative with your photos, and make sure your sign is visible!
We can’t wait to see all the ways you’re going to help our planet! Have fun, and have a happy Earth Day!
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