50 family nature activities

We’ve put together 50 ideas of ways you can spend time with the kids in your life while learning about the planet and how to protect it.

Learn about waterways, parks and America’s natural wonders.

1. Visit your closest park and take a walk.
2. Research waterways in your community and make a map of local rivers, lakes and streams. 
3. Go paddling, fishing or swimming at your local waterway.
4. Take a virtual tour of our parks, such as Yellowstone National Park.
5. Take a virtual dive in the Florida Keys or one of our other marine sanctuaries. 
6. Learn about Alaska’s glaciers.
7. Learn about water pollution through these activities.

Learn about wildlife and how to protect birds, butterflies, whales, turtles and other wild animals.

8. Learn about how animals camouflage themselves. Play hide and seek inside based on what you learn,
9. Read the book Myrtle the Turtle and discuss the impacts of plastic waste on our planet.
10. Learn about wildlife crossings and draw a picture of how a wildlife crossing could help an animal cross the road.
11. Learn about birding.
12. Make a bird feeder out of an apple, peanut butter and birdseed.
13. Build an insect hotel.
14. Make up a song about protecting animals from pollution.
15. Draw pictures of your favorite animals that need greater protections, such as bees, birds and orcas. Or print our coloring pages. Post the pictures to social media and tag us.

Learn about plants.

16. Learn about the earth, trees, and plants.
17. Learn about the rainforest and then make a terrarium.
18. Make leaf rubbings on paper.
19. Create a self portrait out of leaves, sticks, and other foraged materials.
20. Learn how to plant a garden outdoors. Get your own bee friendly garden kit from Environment America.
21. Start an indoor container garden.
22. Make plantable seed paper from old paper scraps.
23. Make seed bombs to help bees and other pollinators.
24. Play a game about where your food comes from.

Create a healthier home and community.

25. Create an environmental scavenger hunt. Adapt it to your own home or backyard.
26. Turn a milk or juice carton into a bird feeder.
27. Write a letter to your school district asking them to adopt electric school buses.
28. Go for a hike and learn about park trail stewardship.
29. Organize a family litter patrol. Get gloves and/or pick-up tools and pick up trash if you go on walks at a nearby park.
30. Download the Wow in the World kids podcast and discuss the topics after each episode.

Learn about ways to reduce waste.

31. Watch The Story of Stuff and clean out your junk and look for treasures.
32. Measure your weekly trash output. Make a plan to reduce your family’s waste by 25% in the next year.
33. Make a pledge to reduce your plastic use and challenge your friends.
34. Reduce food waste by reorganizing your fridge.
35. Start composting in your home.
36. Make your own reusable bag from old t-shirts.
37. Make your own produce bag for fruits and vegetables.
38. Make reusable food wraps from beeswax.
39. Try to repair something — whether a toy, gadget or a picture frame, there are instructions to fix anything on YouTube. Discuss how repair cuts waste while you fix your item. 
40. Make art out of your trash and then have an art show at home.
41. Make crafts out of plastic bottles.
42. Upcycle foam with these craft ideas.
43. Write a letter to an elected official about why you are trying to reduce waste.

Learn about climate change and clean energy solutions.

44. Become energy waste detectives by using our citizen’s guide to reducing energy waste. 
45. Make a challenge to keep unused lights off in your house.
46. Make your own wind turbine and learn about the power of wind power.
47. Make your own solar oven from a pizza box and find out how using solar power could make your community healthier and cleaner.
48. Learn about the impact of transportation on our climate. Make a plan for how to incorporate more walking, biking and public transit into your family’s daily life.
49. Calculate your family’s carbon footprint.
50. Make videos about your favorite way to reduce energy waste. Post the video and tag your elected officials on social media.