Earth Day is coming up on Saturday, April 22! This holiday is one of the most widely celebrated environmental events across the globe. This special day is all about appreciating the diversity of life on our planet. On this day, events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment. New Yorkers of all ages can honor our planet today and everyday by participating in environmentally-friendly events around NYC. Teach your kiddos to create a more sustainable, healthier, and happier earth for generations to come!
Earth Day New York 2017 At Union Square West
Tuesday, April 18
12-7pm
Join the Earth Day Initiative at their annual outdoor Earth Day New York 2017 event! Bring the entire family to this fun outdoor event and learn more about how you can get involved with sustainability and environmental efforts! This is an educational and interactive event that brings together over 70 organizations and features dozens of exhibitors, green businesses, activities for kids, and live performances. This is the perfect event for New Yorkers to celebrate sustainability together! Plus, if you’re looking to make a simple, green change to your lifestyle, bring your utility bill to the booth at East 17th and Park Avenue to make the switch to clean energy in just minutes and get $25 off your next bill! Free, all ages. Union Square West (Broadway and East 17th Street), info@earthdayny.org
Friday, April 21
10am-1pm
Celebrate Earth Day outdoors! Soak in the natural wonders around you and learn more about environmental work being done in Manhattan on an Earth Day 5K Green Tour. The entire family can get out on Earth Day and get involved with some of the great green groups around NYC. Kids can learn all about different green groups that are turning the city green through compositing, farming, and natural cooking while traveling from different sites. Past sites on the tour have included a rooftop farm in Midtown Manhattan, the Lowline Lab, a natural food cooking school, and a composting site. Plus, end the tour with lunch provided by one of the green partners! Register here.
Family Art Project: Earth Day For Protecting Pollinators At Wave Hill House
Saturday, April 22
10am–1pm
Head over to Wave Hill and celebrate Earth Day by learning how to protect and support the environment and essential pollinators, like the honeybees. Join Sunroom Project Space Artist Borinquen Gallo and raise awareness of how pesticides impact pollinators through individual art projects or by contributing small projects! You and your little artist can use yellow caution tape in large-scale installations that will stand as metaphors for sustainability and environmental care. Then see your art project will in Gallo’s dynamic installation in Glyndor Gallery! Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon, all ages. Wave Hill House in Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx.
Harlem Grown Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, April 22
10am–4pm
Join Harlem Grown in celebrating Earth Day as they host a day of family-friendly activities and service projects! With activities like free yoga, natural dye demonstrations, arts and crafts, storytelling for children, and garden service projects for adults throughout the day–there is fun to be had for the entire family. Saving the earth can get a little draining, so lunch and juices will be provided at the event to replenish your energy! Free, all ages. Harlem Grown, 126 West 134th Street. harlemgrown.org.
Earth Day Parade And Celebration At Rivers Run Community Garden
Saturday, April 22
10:15am–4pm
Join Rivers Run Community Garden in conjunction with the Co-Op City Little League as they celebrate Earth Day with family fun. Kids can enjoy a parade that starts at 10:15am from the Greenway (at Bellamy Loop) to Rivers Run Community Garden and the little league field. Other festivities include a free composting workshop, recycling projects, arts and crafts, and free giveaways. It’s a great way to get the kids interested in helping the earth in a fun and exciting way! Free, all ages. Rivers Run Community Garden, 801 Co-op City Blvd, Bronx. Rivers_run@yahoo.com
Celebrate Earth Day At Hamilton Grange Library Children’s Room
Saturday, April 22
2pm
The library is the perfect place to teach kids about the dangers facing our environment and what they can do to help protect it. Bring your kiddos to the Hamilton Grange Library to celebrate Earth Day with stories and hands-on activities inspired by our green planet. Kids will learn how to conserve and take care of our planet through fun projects! Free, ages 18 months-12 years. Hamilton Grange Library, Children’s Room, 503 West 145th Street.
Saturday, April 22
11am
Head over to the Museum of the City of New York for a family celebration in honor of the 47th annual Earth Day! You and your little one can learn different ways to help protect our planet by working together in an exciting scavenger hunt in the exhibition “Activist New York.” Kids can also design a pot inspired by the environment and plant a seed to take home and watch grow! Other kid-friendly activities include songs, books, healthy snacks, and more! Registration suggested, though not required. Free with museum admission and for members, ages 6-12 and adults. Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street; 212-534-1672
Celebrate Earth At Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Saturday, April 22-23
10am-4:45pm
Kids can honor our planet at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! Your kiddos can visit the Museum’s new exhibit “Wilderness Camp,” which focuses on the great outdoors. Little ones will build gross motor skills through hands-on play in Neighborhood Nature, which includes a community cork garden, animal habitat dioramas, indoor “beach,” and live animals! Kids will also be enjoy fun yoga sessions led by Yo Re Mi. And they can enjoy a live percussion performance concert led by Reynaliz Herrera featuring original music played from unconventional instruments. Free with museum admission, ages 2.5 and up. Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 45 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn; 718-735-4400
Holi, The Spring Festival Of Colors Honoring Mother Earth And Celebrating Earth Day
April, 23
2-4pm
Join the Hindu Temple Society of North America as they celebrate Holi and Earth Day. Holi marks the onset of spring when the re-generation of Mother Earth takes place. Learn all about the unique Holi celebrations while celebrating Earth Day! Bring the entire family to this festival of colors and enjoy multi-cultural dances and diverse music. Performers from different cultures will come together to celebrate mother nature. Get ready to for a blast of color and fun that will excite New Yorkers of all ages! Free, all ages. Queens Museum, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. 718-592-9700
Earth Day Insect Expedition At Wave Hill
Sunday, April 23
12pm
Kids can get up-close and personal with insects and discover the other critters that crawl around the Hudson River Valley in springtime. Kids can also view live and preserved insects on display, then they can join insect guru Lawrence Forcella for an in-depth exploration of native creatures in their garden habitats. Free with admission to the grounds, ages 8 and up with an adult. Wave Hill, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Bronx
