Earth Hour has become a celebrated holiday for families across Canada and around the World. For many families it is a chance to spend some fun and educational time together and to find a renewed commitment to the planet.

Visit Mom in the Know Facebook Page, and you can watch as millions of people in more than 150 countries & 7000 cities across all 7 continents come together and use thier power to PROTECT THE PLANET.

I love Earth Hour and you can make a day of it spending time reading, crafting and preparing for lights out at 8:30.  Early in the afternoon, I like to take a walk with the kids and have them find the following:

·        Two pieces of bark
·        Two round rocks
·        Three pieces of trash
·        Two signs of spring
·        Something red
·        A twig that looks like a tree

Returning home, we begin to decorate for our evening celebration.  Last year, we made this banner from old paper bags and materials from our recycle bin.

You will need:

·        Paper bags
·        Your recycle bin (full)
·        White glue
·        Jute rope or yarn
·        Stapler
·        Scissors
·        Paint or markers

Pick a message and lay out your bags “Earth Hour, Save our Planet, We Love Earth.”   Sketch out full block letters as a template.  Have kids use safety scissors to cut, crumple and tear recycled items to fill in the letters.

Staple banner points to jute or yarn.

Hang and admire.

This year, I am planning to create a picture of the world using our thumb prints.  It is going to make a beautiful keepsake.

One ink pad for each family member participating

·        Canvas
·        Frame and poster paper
·        Light pencil
·        Sharpie

Sketch a circle to represent the earth and lightly draw in the continents leaving room for signatures at the bottom.

Taking turns, have each person make a print to fill in the areas with appropriate colour.

Have each family member make one last print on the bottom and sign their name under it.

After a little down time for reading our favourite earth and recycling books, it is time to decorate our dinner table.

Last year, I found a world map beach ball and hung it from the ceiling.  We used a big world map for our table cloth and filled jars with some twigs and branches we had picked up on our nature walk.

Don’t forget the candles.  In the past I have purchased big pillar candles and had the kids paint and decorate them.   We have also used simple tea lights and votives to make the evening special.