Happy Earth Day!

Here at Second Chance Toys, Earth Day is one of our favorite days of the year. It's an excellent time to connect with children about the Earth, and talk to and show them the importance of the three Rs! Here are some of our favorite things to do with kids on Earth Day: 

1. Plant a tree. Now that warmer weather is on its way, April is a great time to get outside and plant a tree that your yard, park, or community needs. Some of the benefits of trees include reducing pollution and improving air quality, fighting climate change by reducing surface temperatures in hot months, providing shelter and food for wildlife, plus trees are fun to watch grow over the years! 

2. Take a walk instead of a car ride. Show kids that there are ways to get places without involving a motor that produces pollution. Double benefit--it's good for you, too!

3. Start composting. Many of the things we throw out every day could actually be composted. Things like apple cores, coffee grounds, and egg shells can be composted instead of taking up space in a landfill. At-home composting can be done easily, and larger cities including New York City even have compost drop-off areas.

4. Unplug. Take a break from the electicity-guzzling television, phones, and computers and enjoy a day outside with your kids! We come to depend on these devices, but it's important to take time and just enjoy your children. Play a game of soccer, roll down a hill, do a potato-sack race, do some hopscotch, or lay down in the grass and name the shapes of the clouds!

5. Donate unused toys. Recycling and reducing can be easier to explain to kids, but reusing is a little trickier. A great way to do that is to go through old toys and donate any toys that haven't been played with in over six months. And by donating those toys to children in need, your kids will also learn how it feels to do good for others. It's no coincidence that one of our two donation times is during Earth Month (April). Visit our drop-off location page to see if there's a place locally where you can drop-off toys. If there isn't, consider holding a toy collection next Earth Day!

If you can't get around to any of these tips today, maybe tomorrow works better. Or better yet, make EVERY DAY Earth Day!