Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22nd, offering families the perfect opportunity to get outside and celebrate together.
Though you probably don’t need an official study to tell you this, research shows that spending time in nature is essential for kids (and adults!).
It has been shown to reduce stress, ease anxiety, improve concentration, boost the immune system, increase creativity, and even decrease kids’ chances of becoming near-sighted.
And of course, it’s just fun!
Here are some events happening around Milwaukee to mark the occasion with your kids:
1. Celebrate the Earth! (Schlitz Audubon)
Saturday, April 24, 2021 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pmWebsite
Spend a day celebrating the Earth by participating in educational activities around the Center. Set your own pace as you visit different stations around the property. Naturalists will be at each station to teach you about problems and solutions that face various aspects of nature with an assortment of activities. This includes collecting and sorting litter on the shores of Lake Michigan, searching for macro-invertebrates in the ponds, learning how to identify native and migrating birds in a citizen science project, and making an eco-friendly craft to take home. Prior to the event, you will receive a PDF of the description and locations of the activities on our trail map.
This program will take place entirely outdoors. The Center will practice social distancing when they are able to, but because of the nature of small-group programming, it will not always be possible. For the health and safety of all, participants must wear a mask when you are within six feet of others. Please do not attend if you are sick or believe you have been exposed to the virus.
Members: $10 per person | Non-members: $15 per person
2. Family Nature Hike & Track Pickup (Urban Ecology Center)
Saturday, April 24 @ 1 – 3 pm
Join Community Programs Educator José for a family nature hike and trash pick up! Check their website for other themed Earth Day activities throughout the entire week.
3. Ruckus & Glee Sustainable Toys Spotlight
Ruckus & Glee Toy Store in Wauwatosa will be celebrating Earth Day by focusing on products on their shelves that promote sustainability and good stewardship of the planet. Join all week on their Facebook Page to check out toys, games, puzzles, and crafts that honor the treasure of ecosystems. This year’s Earth Day theme is is “Together, we can restore our Earth”.
Ruckus & Glee in Wauwatosa will be spotlighting sustainable toys and games.
4. Waukesha Earth Day Parks Clean-up | All Ages | Free!
Saturday, April 24⋅9:00 – 11:00amWaukesha Schuetze Rec Center (1120 Baxter St, Waukesha, WI 53186)
Spend 125 minutes making Waukesha better as we take care of our City for the future. Form a team and sign up to help pick up trash in a City park. Supplies will be provided. Participants are asked to register ahead of time. Volunteers are required to wear a face mask at all times and maintain at least 6′ of social distancing from other volunteers, staff and community members.
Saturday, April 24⋅9:00 – 10:30amLocation: Virtual / At HomeEvent website and Registration
Kids Impact Community and Cloud 9 Workshop will have an action-packed hour this weekend. Kids will create a pop-up card, make a t-shirt bag, read two stories and tour Greater Goods MKE. They ask that a grown-up sits side-by-side with their child(ren) during the session to provide guidance.
Earth Day Seed Bomb Workshop (ages 1 – 6)
Friday, April 20, 10:30AM – 1:30pm (as supplies last)
Little Sprouts Play Cafe, 4606 N Wilson Dr, Shorewood, WI 53211
Website
Drop-in for a special workshop and make wildflower seed bombs, included with admission. In this fun and messy project, your child can create their own seed bomb to bring home. Created with local seeds, you’ll be able to plant this at home and watch it grow as the weather continues to warm. Parent assistance is required.
Free admission to Discovery World and Earth Day activities
Sunday, April 22nd, 2018
discoveryword.org
I called to confirm, and yes, Discovery World is offering free admission to everyone on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22nd! Expect crowds, but also expect some great programming. The “Trash Full Circle” workshop will helps kids learn about the journey and fate of an empty soda can that just washed up on the shores of Lake Michigan. How long until that soda can breaks down naturally? Stop by the Freshwater Sustainability Lab to learn how long it takes daily debris to break down in the environment. Play a recycling game to see if you can keep this debris out of our Great Lakes habitat and keep our Earth beautiful. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Workshop times are 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Tree climbing at Riveredge Nature Center
Saturday, April 21st from 1:30 – 3:30 (More Open Climbs throughout the spring and summer, also)
458 County Hwy Y, Saukville, WI 53080
Website
This probably isn’t the tree climbing you’re thinking of. Using the same professional equipment that arborists and scientists use when they ascend into the treetops, trained facilitators will teach you everything you need to know to get harnessed up, in the saddle, and headed toward the treetops like never before. Once you’re at a height that’s comfortable for you, you’ll be free to swing, spin, bounce, walk the branches, or just hang out in a tree. It’s your adventure! Tree Climbing programs can accommodate youth and adults, age 7 and above, with little to no tree climbing skills. All you need is loose clothing (a t-shirt and long pants recommended), closed toe shoes (hard soles recommended). Climbers typically spend about 45 minutes in the trees during these two-hour programs.
Sunday, April 22nd from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
$5 per family
Website
Play games and do crafts that teach kids how to make a difference in the environment. Complete a special Earth Day scavenger hunt alone the nature trails.
Saturday, April 28th from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.Free events will offered throughout the day for the whole family to enjoy: hiking, children’s crafts and activities, special programs, planetarium shows, campfire with s’mores, bird watching, a volunteer project, a community mural,a family concert at 3:00 p.m., a campfire with s’mores from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., and more. This special event coincides with the Grand Opening of Retzer Nature Center’s new interactive exhibit space, open from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.! The center includes a hands-on section in which kids can dump recycling into a truck, learn how to sort, and learn what is made from recycled materials. The event will end with a twilight hike at 7:15. Kids can use flashlights to search for nocturnal animals.
Earth Day Service Fest (Free!)
Saturday, April 21st from 9:00 am – 1:30 pm
Riveredge Nature Center (4458 County Hwy Y, Saukville, WI 53080)
Website
Join Riveredge and celebrate Earth Day right by working hand in hand with Riveredge staff on fun, informative service projects that give back to both the planet and our community! From preparing and planting cool garden beds in the children’s organic garden to conducing grounds clean-up and invasive species removal to trail maintenance, this fest will provide you an opportunity to get your hands dirty while keeping our sanctuary green. There’s awesome opportunities for groups, families, and individuals of all ages to get involved and make a difference. This year, in honor of Riveredge’s 50th anniversary, we’ll also have guest artists on hand helping us create special nature based art installations for around riveredge! The day is free and as a special thank you, all volunteers will receive a free lunch at noon and a picnic style festival starting at 11:30am. Everyone is invited to make a nesting bag for birds, experience a composting demonstration, and play in the great outdoors. It’s bound to be a blast and you’ll walk away feeling like an all star with all the good you helped to put into the world! Walk-ins are welcome and the event is totally free, but we highly encourage registering your attendance on our online system to ensure we’ve got the proper amount of activities and resources ready for you.
Earth Day of Service at Riverside Park (Free!)
Saturday, April 21 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Urban Ecology Center – Riverside Park
For everyone | Free – donations appreciated
urbanecologycenter.org
It’s a working celebration of the Earth! Bring your friends and spend a morning helping in our park followed by a community lunch. Meet new people and have fun helping the Earth! Family hikes and service projects are also available at 9:30 and 11am.
Earth Day Workday at Schlitz Audubon (Free!)
Sunday, April 22 | 10:00am – 12:00pm and 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Website
Spend Earth Day working with SANC naturalists on projects to improve the land, shoreline, and wetlands at Schlitz Audubon. Activities include collecting litter from the Lake Michigan shoreline, picking garlic mustard, and removing Mystery Snails at Mystery Lake. Join us for the morning or afternoon – or bring a lunch to join for both.
Registration is required. To register call 414-352-2880 x0. Free with membership or admission
Past Events:
Earth Day at Mequon Nature Preserve
Great American Cleanup at Havenwoods State Forest
Earth Day Hikes at Wehr Nature Center
Great Whitnall Park Cleanup
Earth Day Work Day at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Earth Day Service Fest & Family Festival at Riveredge Nature Center
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
