April 22th is a very special day in our calendars – it is the Earth Day. It is also special because just 10 days before Yuri Gagarin, the first astronaut, went to space! On this day people worldwide show support to environmental protection: some go out to clear parks and water sources; some turn off all energy for at least an hour to help save it.
When I think Earth Day, I think of how important it is now, especially, to understand the Oneness of humanity. To understand that everything in our world is interdependent. And that if we don’t treat each other and this world as one, we will never be able to preserve our Earth for generations to come. Whatever little we do on one side of Earth, eventually affects the rest of it.
To understand oneness, I usually introduce the concept of Unity – a very powerful virtue that teaches are about diversity and harmony. “One planet, one people” principle is not new and it gives out a call for us to concentrate on unity and interdependence of all of the creation.
Some time ago I posted a very special game my friend created which we called Ayyam-i-Ha game. To celebrate Oneness of humanity, I would like to add a simple activity which can precede this game and used instead of the cards that are suggested to be used in this game.
Materials needed:
One sheet of A4 paper
Scissors
Globe
Colors (markers, pencils, crayons)
Process:
1. Fold the paper several times.
2. Draw a figure of a person.
3. Cut it out.
4. Now, unfold to see few people holding hands together/
5. Take your colors and color these people in different colors, resembling the color of skin
6. Repeat the process
7. Now ask the children to describe differences in paper people they see
8. Have them to fold the cutout to make one person. Talk about how we are all so different but at the same time we are all humans, one people.
9. Take the globe and stick the paper people around it. Tell the children how we all should embrace this planet – our home – and take care of it.
You would be surprised what kind of interesting ideas younger and older children will come up with during this simple activity!
Earth Day Books and Music Giveaway
To inspire earth-friendly practices with your family, I’ve teamed up with several kid bloggers to bring you this awesome Earth Day giveaway. Several publishers have offered earth-themed books and music prizes for your Earth Day celebrations. Hopefully, these wonderful resources will inspire a love of nature in your children and motivate them to make a difference in the world. Amazon affiliate links are below for your convenience.
The Earth Day Giveaway co-hosts are:
Kids Yoga Stories, Mama Smiles, Spanish Playground, Creative World of Varya, Crafty Moms Share, The PiriPiri Lexicon, All Done Monkey, and Eva Varga
EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
PRIZE PACK #1
Water Rolls, Water Rises, by Pat Mora
Celebrate the wonders of the water on planet Earth with this poetic and illustrative bilingual book.
Call Me Tree, by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Act out this beautiful bilingual story following a young child mimicking the growth of a tree.
Kings & Queens of the Forest CD, by Kira Willey
Act out a journey to the forest with Kira Willey’s enchanting yoga-inspired music.
Imaginations 2, by Carolyn Clarke
Use guided imagery to explore nature while learning to calm the mind and body with these relaxation stories.
Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, by Giselle Shardlow
Join Sophia and her family on a jungle adventure while learning to appreciate jungle life and doing yoga along the way.
Every Day is Earth Day Kids Yoga Lesson Plan PDF, by Next Generation Yoga
Create an earth-themed yoga session with this kids yoga lesson plan.
Compost Stew, by Mary McKenna Siddals
Dig into composting with this engaging rhyming text.
Too Much Junk song, by Elska
Get inspired to enjoy nature and simplify your life with this new musical adventure.
Backyard Garden CD, by Earthworm Ensemble
Celebrate nature, green living, and gardening with this uplifting new music.
EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
PRIZE PACK #2
Change the World Before Bedtime, by Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good
Find out how the simple things in life that can inspire huge differences that change the world.
Picture a Tree, by Barbara Reid
Discover new ways to experience trees in this book with stunning imagery.
This Tree Counts, by Alison Formento and Sarah Snow
Practice counting with animals that live in trees.
Miss Fox’s Class Goes Green, by Eileen Spinelli and Anne Kennedy
Join Miss Fox as she teaches her forest animal students how to go green.
In the Garden with Dr. Carver, by Susan Grigsby and Nicole Tadgell
Step into the historical world of Dr. Carver as he teaches children about gardening.
What’s So Special About Planet Earth?, by Robert E. Wells
Learn how planet Earth is different from other planets.
Polar Bear, Why is Your World Melting?, by Robert E. Wells
Learn why and how the world is getting warmer and what we can do about it.
EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
PRIZE PACK #3
Earth Day CD and Recycled Musical Activities eBook, by Daria MarmalukHajioannou
Sing and dance to catchy folk music to celebrate our beautiful rainbow world.
Nature Anatomy, by Julia Rothman
Take a look at nature in a new way with this book that explains all about the nature with sketches.
Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun, by Michael J. Caduto
Learn about renewable energy with 22 activities on producing and using it.
Ecology eBook – Ecology Explorations, by Eva Varga
Explore your local ecosystems with this hands-on ten-week life science curriculum.
When the Animals Saved Earth, by Alexis York Lumbard
Read a tale about how animals teach humans to restore balance in nature.
Just Like Me, Climbing a Tree, by Durga Yael Bernhard
Explore trees all over the world and see what a child sees when climbing those trees
EARTH DAY GIVEAWAY
FREE DOWNLOAD FOR EVERYONE
The Garden Classroom Journal, by Nurture Store
Download this free Garden Classroom journal to record your gardening experiences.
Some of the resources above were given to us bloggers free for review, but the decision to include them in the giveaway was entirely our own. Please read the full Contest Rules below for details.
We look forward to your entries. Thank you for taking the time to participate in our giveaway. Please let me know if you have any questions or problems with the Rafflecopter tool below by sending me an e-mail at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
Earth Day Giveaway
To enter the contest, sign in using your Facebook or e-mail account and click on the different ways to enter. You can enter every day, using this Rafflecopter online giveaway tool.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Contest Rules:
- Entries are open worldwide.
- You can be any age to enter.
- Participation in the contest constitutes that you agree to the Contest Rules.
- Please enter using the Rafflecopter tool above, obtaining points as follow the different options.
- You can enter every day.
- No purchase is necessary.
- You must enter the contest giveaway with a valid e-mail address. The winner will be notified by e-mail, and at that time, we will request a mailing address. The winner must respond within 72 hours, or we will pick a different winner. The shipping of the books and CDs can take some time, depending on the winner’s location. Each publisher will ship the books separately and will cover the shipping costs.
- If you have any questions, e-mail Giselle directly at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com.
- The contest closes on Tuesday, April 15th, 2015, midnight EST.