April 22 marks the celebration of Earth Day, which means now is the time to go green. How will you celebrate this year’s Earth Day? If you need some inspiration on how you can honor Earth Day, here are five ways you can get the whole family involved to celebrate together.

1. Attend the Earth Day Festival at River Legacy Nature Center. This free, family-friendly festival, set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, includes nature walks, story times, crafts, activities, demonstrations, information from Arlington Water Utilities, and more. River Legacy Nature Center is located at 703 NW Green Oaks Blvd. in North Arlington. Click here to visit the River Legacy Nature Center website.
2. Venture into the backyard for some Naturally Fun activities! A great way to grow your appreciation for our planet is to spend time in the great outdoors. If you need some activities to excite your little ones about being outside, Arlington Parks & Recreation has a variety of fun nature activities to choose from in its Virtual Resource Center.
3. Try going one day without throwing anything away! Compost all your food garbage and recycle your papers and plastics. Use this Earth Day to make you and your family more aware of the waste you create. Use a clear container (a water jug works well!) where everyone must put their trash so they can observe how much waste is created at the end of the day. You can also give each of your family member their own container instead so they can become aware of their personal impact to the planet. Even small changes and becoming more mindful can go a long way in saving the earth. Click here to learn about the benefits of composting and for an easy compost recipe. 
4. Enjoy a night of camping from the comfort of your own backyard! There is no better way to grow your appreciation for our planet than to spend time experiencing the wonders of nature. Fire up the grill for a fun family dinner outdoors and set up camp to revel in the marvels of planet earth.
5. Reduce, reuse, recycle! Show your children the importance of conservation by teaching them the three R’s and how to incorporate them into their everyday life. You can spend an afternoon learning what types materials are recyclable, how to reduce your use of natural resources, and exploring the different ways you can reuse things. For examples, try upcycling old containers into something new and exciting, like making a cute pencil holder out of an old candle jar or upcycling golf balls into cute ladybugs for the garden. Click here to learn more about curbside recycling in Arlington.

The ultimate way to celebrate is by committing to appreciate our planet 365 days a year. Spend some time outdoors with the family and take in the natural beauty our earth provides us with. Staying aware of how beautiful and important our environment is will encourage us to always protect and preserve it!