Fifty environmental activities kids can do at home

By Megan Severson
State Director

A blog by Megan Severson, Director of Wisconsin Environment:

As people in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, and across the United States brace for weeks of school closures and social distancing, I am searching for ways to make the most of this challenging period. While our own health, essential needs, and family care arrangements are top of mind, we are also staring down the inevitability of long stretches of boredom. 

I’d love to help my step-kids fill this time by learning about the planet and how to protect it. So I asked my colleagues at Environment America to help me come up with a list of ideas.

Our family went for a bike ride this weekend at the UW Arboretum in Madison. We stopped to do a 5 minute litter challenge along Lake Wingra and found 29 pieces of trash! Make sure to follow your local,state and CDC guidelines before venturing into your neighborhood, staying the recommended distance from other kids and families.

Learn about solutions to climate change 


  1. Make a challenge to keep unused lights off in your house.

  1. Make your own wind turbine and learn about the power of offshore wind.


  1. Calculate your family’s carbon footprint.


  1. Learn about the impact of transportation on our climate. Make a plan for how to incorporate more walking and biking into your family’s daily life -- and more public transit once we get past “social distancing.”

Learn about ways to reduce waste 

  1. Watch The Story of Stuff and clean out your junk and look for treasures.



  1. Reduce food waste by reorganizing your fridge.

  1. Make a compost bin for your kitchen.

  1. Make your own reusable bag from old t-shirts.

  1. Make your own produce bag for fruits and vegetables.

  1. Make reusable food wraps from beeswax.

  1. Try to repair something -- whether a toy, gadget or a picture frame, there are instructions to fix anything on YouTube. Discuss how repair cuts waste while you fix your item. 

  1. Make art out of your trash and then have an art show at home.

  1. Make crafts out of plastic bottles.

  1. Upcycle styrofoam with these craft ideas.


Learn about plants

  1. Learn about the earth, trees, and plants.

  1. Learn about the rainforest and then make a terrarium

  1. Make leaf rubbings on paper.

  1. Create a self portrait out of leaves, sticks, and other foraged materials.


  1. Or start an indoor container garden.

  1. Make plantable seed paper from old paper scraps.

  1. Make seed bombs to help bees and other pollinators

  1. Play a game about where your food comes from. 

Learn about waterways, parks and conservation 


  1. Learn about water pollution through these activities.

  1. Take a virtual tour of our parks, such as Yellowstone National Park!


  1. Learn about glaciers and write a story or draw a picture about them.

  1. Learn about healthy soils


Learn about and protect birds, bees and other wildlife 


  1. Learn about birding.

  1. Make a bird feeder out of an apple, peanut butter and birdseed. 

  1. Turn a milk or juice carton into a bird feeder.

  1. Build an insect hotel.


  1. Make a mason bee home

  1. Make up a song about protecting animals in your hometown from pollution.


Create a healthier home and community

  1. Create an environmental scavenger hunt. Adapt it to your own home or backyard.

  1. Write a letter to your school district asking them to adopt electric school buses.

  1. Go for a hike and teach your children about park trail stewardship.



If you document all the environmental activities you’re doing at home, be sure to tag Environment America on social media! 

Facebook: Environment America * Twitter: @EnvAm * Instagram: enviroam