Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

I talk a lot with my kids about helping our earth. Turning off water when we aren't using it. Using the backs of paper that come home from school to do our art work. Composting. Watching our consumerism and really thinking before we buy something. Will we use it? Does it serve a purpose? Will it last?

One thing we love to do is walk around our neighborhood to pick up trash. My kids call it a nature walk haha. Since this is a frequent activity and I'm not letting my kids pick up random people's trash with their hands we have these garbage grabbers! 

These make it really fun for the kids and as a bonus they are working on their hand strength and hand-eye coordination. I used the extra one when I was super pregnant to pick up anything and everything off the floor. Good times! I've also used them to reach things behind the couch and yard work.

There is a 4 pack available if you want an indoor/outdoor set. 

Metal option 2 pack- definitely appropriate for older kids when their hand strength is more developed around 6 or 7 or this foldable 2 pack is also magnetic and looks great too. I will be ordering a set of these when we have outgrown the ones we have.

We went out a few weeks ago and a woman stopped us and asked with shock, are you guys picking up garbage?! I said, ahm, yes? I honestly was not sure why she was asking but she said hang on and ran to her garage to get her wallet to give my older boys each ten dollars. I told her that definitely wasn't necessary but she said she wanted to and she appreciated us keeping the neighborhood clean. 

That's the first time something like that has happened and what a great lesson for my kids. Her stopping and saying she appreciated what we were doing was worth far more than the money. 

We will continue our 'nature walks' whether people notice or not. It's fun and a great way to help our neighborhood, the environment and local wildlife. We have a white squirrel in our neighborhood that is quite the celebrity and now has a cleaner home!