Every year, millions of people celebrate Earth Day across the globe. Senator Gaylord Nelson originally founded the day in 1970 after witnessing the aftermath of an oil spill. Earth Day officially became an International Movement in 1990 and events occur in more than 190 countries today. Celebrating Earth Day and appreciating the environment we live in doesn’t mean you need to organize a big community event. There are plenty of ways your adult residential care home and residents can take an active part in Earth Day this year.

Here are five fresh ideas to add to your activities list this April.

1. Plant flowers. This is a great activity for mobile and homebound residents. Spruce up your porch, flower beds, or living areas with colorful flowers. Start by making a trip to the local garden center for supplies. Flowers, pots, and soil are essential to project. It’s also important to have gardening gloves and tools to make the process easier. Once you gather supplies, create an area inside or outside where residents can help with replanting the flowers. If you’re setting up inside, cover your table with newspaper to make clean-up easy. Let the residents decide where to proudly display their flowers afterward.

2. Plant a garden. Planting a garden is a valuable long-term project for your residents to participate in. Even if you just plant a few tomato and pepper plants, residents will enjoy caring for and watching the plants transition from seedlings to a source of nutritional food.

3. Make paper-mache vases. Reusing items commonly thrown away is a big part of the Earth Day movement. Paper-mache vases reuse plastic containers and newspaper. There are plenty of online instructions for paper-mache vases, but you can find our favorite here. After the vase is covered, residents can decorate with paints, ribbon, and other supplies.

4. Go on an Earth Day scavenger hunt. April is a great month to explore the outdoors. (When it’s not raining!) Whether you take residents to a local park or your backyard, there is an endless list of things they can be on the watch for. Create a list of items residents can find: leaves, bugs, birds, flowers, sticks, and litter. Let them break into pairs to scour their surroundings and check items off their list. Finish the day with a picnic lunch to discuss their favorite parts.

5. Watch “Earth”. Disney’s Earth Documentary was released in 2007 and is a great narrative of three animal families’ journeys. It’s a great way for your residents to learn more about the species and appreciate our surroundings. Disney has various other documentaries including Oceans, Monkey Kingdom, and African Cats that would work as Earth Day movies too.

No matter which activity you choose, your residents will appreciate something new. More than likely a few of these activities will spark some memories and enjoyable conversation among them. Enjoy your Earth Day activities and let us know how they go!