April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. You might be asking yourself, “Only 50? I thought the earth was 4.5 billion years old.” You’re correct in thinking this but Earth Day isn’t about celebrating the age of our planet. Instead, it’s described as observing “the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970” (Earth Day Network, n.d.) which laid the foundation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air Act.
Due to the global pandemic with COVID-19, we may be finding ourselves more conscious of who we interact with, adapting to new ways of living, and being more reflective about how this pandemic will impact our future. In past years you may have gathered with others for Earth Day celebrations – planting trees in parks, participating in community cleanups, or visiting your favorite museum.
This year we will need to continue to exercise social distancing to flatten the curve and preserve human health. But we can continue to act in supporting environmental health – from our homes! Whether it’s a yard clean up, starting a home garden, or doing some citizen science the goal is to think globally and act locally! Individual contributions create global change over time and it’s never too late to start.
In this Thinkery At Home activity, we invite you to use simple ingredients to make an eco-friendly cleaning solution that you and your family can use as an all-purpose cleaner – something we all are using more of as we take additional steps in cleaning and disinfecting. Doing this activity as a family not only provides an opportunity to have a fun germ-busting experience together but also offers an opportunity to have conversations around the current disease and its impact on your family. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. (NASP 2020)
Click here to find a step-by-step guide for making Simple Solutions.
Share your Simple Solutions photos or videos with us on social media! Be sure to tag #ThinkeryATX and #ThinkeryAtHome to share your explorations with our Thinkery community!