Earth Day was founded in 1970 as a day of education about environmental issues, and green living. It is a great opportunity to teach our kids about caring for our planet.
When God created this wonderful planet, He commanded the first humans in Genesis, to care for and tend it. It says in Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” We have a special and unique opportunity to be good stewards of all that has been entrusted to us. Our treatment of God’s creation should reflect his care for his creatures and his joy over his creation. We have come a long way from that agrarian society. Materialism and industrialization have taken their toll on our home planet Earth.
So, with that in mind I would love to offer a project, that you can do with your kids, this Earth Day. It involves repurposing something we would normally throw away and using it to grow a plant that will produce oxygen, beauty, and/or veggies to eat. And when we get our kids involved in the growing process they eat more veggies! It’s a win-win! We win, and the earth wins.
What you will need:
- empty cardboard egg carton
- potting soil
- seeds (Flower seeds or vegetable seeds)
Instructions:
- Fill each hole of the egg carton with soil
- Place one seed in each of the egg carton holes
- Press the seed into the soil
- Tamp down the soil with your hand, lightly
- Water gently
- Daily check the soil for moisture, and water when it starts to dry
When your seedlings emerge, let them grow up about 2 inches high, before transplanting.
You can plant the seedlings in their egg carton “cups”. These egg carton “cups” will biodegrade in the soil. To prepare your seedlings for planting:
- Separate each section of the egg carton, so you have individual seedlings in their egg carton “cups”
- Dig a hole in the ground or a pot of soil, big enough for the seedling
- Place the seedling and egg carton in the hole
- Cover with soil
- Keep it watered and watch it grow!
As you take measures to ensure you are being a good steward of this planet, point people toward the One who motivates your care for creation. Help them recognize that God’s Word provides a firm foundation for caring for creation, and pray that they will come to worship and serve the Creator who has made all things and who sent his Son to redeem mankind.
Happy Earth Day!
Jill Fawcett, Salt+Clay Magazine
