Fun & Educational Ways to Celebrate Earth Month with Your Family

It’s that time of year - the time when we take moments to really appreciate the beauty of our planet, pay extra close attention to turning lights off when we leave a room and try to use a little less water. That’s right - April is Earth Month! How do you like to celebrate in your household? 

No matter how you observe the holiday, Earth Month is an opportunity for some fun and educational moments to teach your kiddos about the planet and how we can all do our part to keeping it healthy and beautiful. Want a little inspiration for celebrating this year with family-friendly activities? Then, this blog is just what you’re looking for! We have six unique ideas for your Earth Month festivities. We’ll also reveal how we support green practices here at Food Lion. 

But first, let’s begin with an idea for mealtime! 

1) Meatless Mealtime

Eating vegetarian dishes is an excellent way to choose lighter foods for mealtime. However, making this choice does even more good than just eating something that’s better-for-you. That’s right! It’s also a positive choice for the environment since it requires less water and power to grow and harvest plants. So, pick a day (or even three or more) to eat a meatless meal and use it as an educational opportunity during Earth Month to tell your family how eating a little less meat on occasion can positively impact the environment around us.

And suppose you need a little inspiration for a meatless dish. In that case, we have the perfect recipe your family is sure to love - Mini Margherita Pizzas! Made with flatbread, fresh mozzarella, pizza sauce, parmesan cheese, sliced tomatoes and fresh basil, these miniature pizzas are quick and easy to put together for lunch or dinner. Serve with a side salad filled with your favorite vegetables, as well as some canned cannellini beans (rinsed) for some added protein.

2) Make a Batch of Earth Sugar Cookies

This next idea for celebrating Earth Month with your family is an activity that’s fun, easy and delicious! Show your kiddos what our planet looks like in outer space and recreate it into edible treats. To make these Earth Sugar Cookies, you’ll need a package of sugar cookie dough (or a batch of your favorite homemade recipe), blue and green food coloring and a round cookie cutter. 

Then, split the dough into two parts - dye one-third of it green and the remaining two-thirds blue. Make 1.5-inch balls with the blue dough and add two or three spots of green dough on each one before baking for eight to 10 minutes at 350℉. Finally, if your cookies aren’t quite round enough, that’s when you use your round cookie cutter to perfect the shape. The rim of a medium-sized glass can work as well. And with that, your Earth Sugar Cookies are ready to enjoy in honor of Earth Month! 

3) Upcycled Crafts

You’re familiar with the eco-friendly practice of recycling, but have you ever heard of upcycling? If so, that’s great! But, just in case, here’s a brief description. Upcycling involves taking used items and reusing them for a new purpose or giving them new life. And that’s what our third way to celebrate Earth Month is all about - upcycled crafts! 

Use recycled grocery items like empty cereal boxes, tissue boxes, toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, egg cartons and so on to make fun new creations (with a bit of glue, tape and construction paper, of course). Not sure what to build together with your family? How about a quirky robot with a tissue box head, cereal box body, egg carton legs, toilet paper roll arms and neck and tin foil hands? 

No matter what you choose to build, you’re sure to have a great time with the people you love most as you celebrate Earth Month.

4) Plant Seeds for a Backyard Vegetable Garden

Did you know egg cartons and empty cans make perfect homes for vegetable, fruit and herb seeds to sprout? So, save your egg cartons and rinsed vegetable cans and pick up some seeds from your local Food Lion. Then, fill the bottom of the egg carton or the cans with soil, add the seeds, top with a little more soil, water them and place them near a window to get some sunlight. Hopefully, after a bit of time, you’ll have some healthy seedlings you can plant in your backyard garden.

Not only is this a great way to enjoy some fresh produce you grew yourself, but it’s also a fantastic learning opportunity for your little ones. You can show them how to take proper care of plants and explain how planting can make a positive impact on the environment. After all, plants clean the air and help provide us with much-needed oxygen. 

5) Make a Tasty Meal with Sustainable Seafood

Besides eating meatless, there’s another way to observe Earth Month through mealtime - with sustainable seafood! What does it mean if seafood is “sustainable”? That simply means that it was caught or harvested in a way that ensures species are protected today and for generations to come.

Another great thing about sustainable seafood is that you can find it at Food Lion. And that makes this eco-friendly meal choice easy, delicious and convenient, too! 

Are you wondering what seafood dish to make? How about grilled salmon with a fresh and tangy avocado mango salsa? Get the recipe here! 

6) Shop Local at Your Neighborhood Food Lion

Since local foods are grown and harvested right here in your state, that means the items have less distance to travel from the farm or producer to the store, and that fun fact is good for the environment! So, as you shop in your local Food Lion for mealtime essentials and snacktime favorites during Earth Month (and year-round), look for Local Goodness signs and tags to find the best products grown and made locally in your state. From sauces and snacks to meat, seasonal produce and everything in between, we offer a variety of delicious local items that you can bring home to your family. 

How We Support the Environment 

When it comes to supporting the health of our beautiful planet, it’s truly a team effort. We’re all in this together! Check out some recent stats on how we’ve supported the environment and our local communities.