This post is in partnership with Sprouts.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: EARTH DAY IS THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021!
Projects and crafts that have a lesson are one of my favorite things to do with Daisy. She’s at such an influential age and absorbs everything like a sponge, plus she LOVES to learn and ask questions, so I try to take advantage of that! Especially since we pulled her from “school” when the pandemic hit and I’ve been responsible for her education ever since. So with Earth Day around the corner, I thought it would be fun to create something together that represents our Earth, and teach her about it along the way!
Daisy is only four, but it’s never too early to start teaching our littles about important things in life. Especially when we make it fun for them! It’s their earth too, after all, and one that they are going to be on much longer than we are. Naturally, the first place that comes to my mind for picking up supplies is Sprouts. They offer an easy way for shoppers to shop sustainable brands and make shopping choices that serve a greater purpose (think organic, plant-based, local, bulk, etc.). They’re committed to taking food care of Mother Earth, and is committed to eliminating waste and fighting hunger in our communities through a “Zero Waste” goal. In 2019 Sprouts repurposed more than 150 million pounds of food and other recyclables from our waste stream! Now THAT’S a store I can stand behind and proudly support. They have everything you’ll need to create and celebrate Earth Day with your kids!
When coming up with project ideas, I wanted to keep it fairly simple for my toddler, but also effective. And I wanted it to be something she could make with me! I decided to make blue and green popcorn and arrange it “like” the earth(talking about the land and the water), and decorate bowls to put it in. I knew we’d need something to wash down the popcorn, so I thought it would be fun to make fresh-squeezed lemonade and talk about how the fruit is grown. Materials and directions are below!
ITEMS NEEDED (for all three projects)
- World Centric certified composable cups
- World Centric certified composable bowls
- Watermelon (whole or pre-cut)
- Sprouts organic salted popcorn
- Lily’s White Chocolate Style Baking Chips
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Pure Cane Sugar
- 8-10 lemons
- Organic coconut oil (optional)
- Green and blue food coloring
BLUE & GREEN SWEET & SALTY WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN
You will need:
- Two bags Sprouts organic salted popcorn
- Two bags Lily’s White Chocolate Style Baking Chips
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- Green and blue food coloring
- Organic coconut oil (optional)
Directions:
- Pop one bag of popcorn in the microwave according to the package instructions.
- Once popped, transfer bag (one at a time) to a large mixing bowl.
- Melt one bag white chocolate style baking chips in a small sauce pan according to directions on back of the bag, stirring constantly. Once almost completely melted, add 1/4 stick of butter and stir constantly until melted. If it seems too thick, add a tablespoon of coconut oil to thin it out. Add blue or green food coloring until desired color.
- Once melted, immediately pour over popcorn and gently mix in the bowl with a wooden spoon, rubber spatula or your hands.
- Repeat for second color (blue or green) food coloring, so you have one bowl of green popcorn and one bowl of blue popcorn.
- Arrange on a large baking sheet, platter or tray lined with parchment paper, alternating green and blue to represent the water and the land.
The Lesson:
As you and your child are putting the popcorn on the baking sheet, platter or tray, take turns putting down handfuls of blue and green, to represent the earth. For the green, explain the different kinds of land, what grows there, what lives there, and the kinds of food it provides. For the blue, explain the different types of bodies of water, what grows under it, what lives in it, and the drinking water we get from it. Don’t forget to share how important it is to reduce, reuse and recycle to keep them both clean, safe and healthy for all living things!
EARTH-DECORATED BOWLS
You’ll need something to put the popcorn in, so why not make it tie in with the theme? I picked up World Centric certified composable bowls from Sprouts, and we used crayons and markers from home to color the earth on them. Daisy really enjoyed this part and was so proud of her earth!
FRESH-SQUEEZED WATERMELON LEMONADE
You will need:
- 1/4 cup Pure Cane Sugar
- 8-10 lemons
- 1-2 cups cubed watermelon (you can use pre-sliced or slice it yourself)
- 2 Liter pitcher
- 6-8 cups filtered water
- Citrus squeezer (optional, but makes it much easier!)
Directions:
- Slice lemons in half and squeeze into the pitcher using the citrus squeezer. Do the same with the watermelon. It’s okay if a little pulp gets in the pitcher, just be careful for seeds!
- Dissolve cane sugar in one cup hot water, then pour into pitcher and stir until fully combined.
- Fill pitcher with cold filtered water and stir.
- Taste, and add more lemon, watermelon or sugar to your liking.
- Pour over ice, serve with a lemon wedge and enjoy!
The Lesson:
Share with them the value of making fresh-squeezed juices from scratch when possible, and explaining how the fruit is grown with soil, sunlight, and water from the earth. When you’re done making the lemonade, try reusing the lemon peels for something around the house (like in the disposal to reduce sink odors, deodorize your trash can, clean coffee and tea pots, or dehydrate them for beautiful decor!). If you choose to serve in non-reusable cups, you can find World Centric certified composable cups at Sprouts.
Daisy had so much fun creating all three of these with me, and has continued asking questions about Earth and nature ever since. It makes me so happy to see her having to much fun with learning, and leanring to treat Mother Earth kindly from the start! I hope you’ll try one of these projects with your kiddos, and let me know if you do. I’d love to see! (You can always tag me on Instagram @blakeleysblondelife.) Have fun, and have a happy Earth Day!
