Mini & Maximus

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day, where we all try to do our part to make the world a better place. Below are some fun things you can do with your kids today (or any day for that matter) to help make the world a better place to live.

1. Enlist friends, hand out bags and clean up a nearby park.

2. Plant shrubs or a tree in your yard.

3. Start a vegetable garden in pots or a small plot.

4. Organize a cleanup day at your school.

5. Create posters with environmental themes and ask teachers to post them in their classrooms.

6. Look for recycling symbols on products you or your parents buy. Purchase items in recyclable packaging whenever possible. Avoid products that use excessive packaging.

7. Encourage your parents to carry a reusable shopping bag, and suggest they buy in bulk to minimize packaging waste.

8. Bicycle or walk to school rather than being driven by your parents (as long as Mom and Dad say it’s safe).

9. Steer your parents toward organic pesticides, such as those made from orange extract.

10. Turn off lights, fans or the TV when you leave the room (unless your little brother is still in

there).

11. Check your home for leaky faucets or toilets, and volunteer to help fix those in need of repair.

12. Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth or washing your face and hands.

13. Take shorter showers.

14. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean the driveway or sidewalk.

15. Remind your parents that washing the car less often saves water (and may get you out of the dreaded chore).

16. Ask your parents to raise (in the summer) or lower (in the winter) the thermostat a few degrees, telling them it will save energy as well as money.

17. Lower the blinds when the sun comes up, which deflects heat from the windows. 18. Offer to replace air filters. A clean filter helps the air-conditioner run more efficiently.

Sources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Earthday Network (www.earthday.net)